Crimson Memories Repeat
by OverlordSwarm
Summary: When a 27 year old Ruby Rose finds herself back in her teenaged body with 12 extra years of memories chronicling the complete and utter destruction of Remnant as she knows it, including the deaths of everyone she holds dear, she realizes it's time to play for keeps. But how much can the 'Last Huntress of Beacon' actually change and how much is she doomed to repeat?
1. Prologue - What Once Was

**Prologue - What Once Was**

* * *

Sometimes, Ruby thought to herself, being the most wanted Huntress on Remnant could be a bit of a drag.

Ruby Rose, self proclaimed 'Huntress Extraordinaire', dove to the side, the tattered edges of her trademark crimson cloak swirling in her wake. White hot lines of gunfire cut through the empty air behind her as she rolled across the dusty ground and back to her feet. She sprinted across the cracked road, vaulting over the burnt out wreck of a car and sliding behind the half destroyed wall of what must have been a cafe lining the once busy street.

Ruby braced Crescent Rose against her, peering down the scope and searching for her target. An annoyed huff blew her red bangs out of her one good eye. A long scar twisted its way across the other side of her face, covered beneath a black eye patch.

A terrible reminder of one of the most brutal battles she'd ever had, and the worst day in her war filled life. One that she wished she could forget.

She dropped the crosshairs over one of the twelve Atlesian Knight's searching for her. Nearly seven feet tall, covered in bulky armor plating, and armed to the teeth, they only had a cursory resemblance to the sleek and shiny 'guardians' Atlas brought to the Vytal Festival so many years ago.

Now, they simply looked like what they always were; war machines, designed as a desperate last attempt by a dying people to impose order on a world that thrived on chaos.

The desolate, destroyed ruins of the once cheerful city of Vale Ruby hide within confirmed that without a shadow of a doubt. Twelve years of war, both civil between the people of Remnant and for survival against the Grimm, tended to do that. The fact that, up until a few weeks ago, Atlas remained as the last civilized country on the world of Remnant also attested to the state of things.

Ruby squeezed her baby's trigger, and the sniper kicked against her shoulder. The robot's head exploded in a burst of metal wiring. It crumpled to the ground, twitching ever so slightly.

The remaining eleven combat androids spun towards her position, bringing their Dust infused weaponry to bare. Ruby vanished in a flourish of roses as they opened up, barraging the cafe with a hail of gunfire.

Ruby frowned as she dashed away. The Knights had chased her from the nearly a mile out from the former Vale city proper into the heart of the ruins. Surely they had to run out of ammo soon?

Granted, when she'd first stumbled across the roaming platoon of Atlesian robots, there had been double their current number.

With a put-upon sigh and a flick of her wrist, Crescent Rose extended out into her scythe form. The familiar weight of custom designed weapon resting in her palms sent warm confidence rushing up her arms. She could feel the tingle of Aura electrifying her muscles as her Semblance gifted her with supernatural speed.

A not-so-innocent grin pulled at her lips. She took a breath, and appeared in the middle of the Knights formation with a slash of crimson and black. Two robot heads clunked to the broken asphalt.

"Hi there," Ruby chirped.

The androids, as completely outmatched as they were, still reacted instantaneously. Sensors looked onto Ruby's new position and robotic joints whirred as rifles were brought to bear on the Huntress.

"Aw, aren't you guys happy to see me?" Ruby pouted. She vanished with screech of steel tearing through steel. Mechanical limbs dropped, cut clean from their owners with naught but a few spins of her beloved scythe.

Gunfire swept up and down the street, tearing even larger holes into the already dilapidated buildings. Maybe when she had been younger, this would've been a challenge. Something to struggle with, maybe something she might need help from her team to deal with.

But that wasn't something she had anymore. She'd been alone for a long time. So Ruby made sure she grew stronger.

The Huntress frowned, memories she wanted to forget ever existed bubbling, unbidden and unwelcome, just under the surface. She tamped them down with an angry scowl, and the Knights paid the price of her sudden fury.

She dashed through the androids again. Another two robots joined their brethren as nothing more than junk on the ground. The remaining soldiers, perhaps realizing that she would pick them off one by one, circled up back to back. Every direction had a rifle covering it.

Except for one. A single, Gravity Dust powered gunshot launched the Huntress into the air. She landed in the center of the Knights and set to work. Crescent Rose blurred through the air. The Huntress wielded her beloved scythe with a masterful touch, and the reinforced blade slid through the thick armor plates. Dismembered robotic body parts clattered across the street.

It's almost like a game of pick up sticks. The idle thought floated through Ruby's head as her blade twirls around her. Only with arms and legs instead of sticks. So, like Yang's version-

She cut off that train of that abruptly, before it went somewhere she'd rather not. But the moment of dealing with emotional baggage, as brief as it was, cost her.

With their numbers dwindling rapidly and their executioner in their midst, the few functioning robots dove at Ruby in a last ditch attempt. She shredded the first into scrap metal, back pedalling away desperately. The next Knight caught the edge of her battered chest plate with a finger before she could remove the offending limb.

The last one slipped past her guard and smashed its plate metal gauntlet into her her cheek, sending her careening backwards. Ruby's limp body vanished into a cloud of dust and debris and she crashed into the bombed out cafe. Crescent Rose hit the ground.

Snapping up its rifle the android peppered the rubble with a stream of gunfire. Fire and dust filled the air until the chamber clicked shut on an empty magazine. The Knight scanned the settling dust cloud, its sensors checking and double checking for any hint of life.

The alert, a detected heartbeat, came a moment too late.

A blur of black and crimson blasted out of the rubble. The android raised its rifle in a futile attempt to club the Huntress back to the dirt, only to lose control of its limbs as an Aura covered fist punctured its chest armor. Icy fingers wrapped around its Dust powered core and violently ripped it from the Knight's body, tossing it aside.

The Knight slumped over, its many systems failing by the second. A slim hand grasped it by the neck and its optics saw a single, furious silver eye staring down at it. The eye suddenly gleamed an angry crimson, and with a jerk Ruby tore the Knight's head off.

Ruby dropped the collection of broken parts to the ground, each breath coming hard and fast. Rage, burning red hot, flooded her veins. Her fingers twitched spastically, and she knew her fury radiated over the ruined city like a giant, emotional flare. It called to every single one of the monstrous Creature of Grimm that still roamed the streets of Vale.

If she didn't control her anger, Ruby knew she'd draw all of the Grimm to her, and more. As the only human for miles and with her emotions running wild, there'd be no doubt she draw the attention of the Grimm spawning deep within the desolate Beacon Campus.

 _She'd_ be here soon. If the gunfire and explosions hadn't drawn her attention, then the tantalizing taste of Ruby's darker emotions spiralling out of control would. And if it didn't, Ruby had no issue waltzing into the corpse of Beacon and tearing the place down around her until _She_ made her appearance.

The soft patter of paws on broken rubble drifted to Ruby's ears. Ruby flicked her wrist, and Crescent Rose rocketed back into the Huntress' outstretched hand as the first Grimm appeared before her.

A pack of Beowolves crept into the street, clambering over the broken rooftops and slinking out from dark alleys. Their bone white armor glinted in the orange light of a dying sun. Ruby's knuckles whitened as she tightened her grip around Crescent Rose. The Beowolves slowly circled around her, keeping a respectful distance from the reach of her blade. Ruby's gaze jumped from monster to monster, waiting for the first attack.

It never came. The wolves sat back on their haunches, still watching her with haunted, soulless eyes. They covered the rooftops and lined the street, but made no move to advance on her. Merely wait. Dozens, if not hundreds of crimson gazes all focused on her, as more Grimm arrived with each passing moment.

It would've been unsettling, if Ruby hadn't been so consumed by her own fury over all else.

"Well?" Ruby scowled, shifting her scythe in her hands. The Beowolves stood still as stone, "Are we doing this or what?"

"So impatient."

Ruby froze. The soft click of shoes on broken stone echoed up the street behind her. _Her_ voice followed the footsteps. "I would have thought you would have learned restraint by now."

Ruby turned slowly to face her adversary. Silver eyes met black and red. Ruby's blood roared, pounding at her temple. She growled. "About time you showed up."

Salem, Queen of the Grimm, raised an immaculate eyebrow. "You do know exactly how to draw my attention, Last Huntress."

Ruby grit her teeth. "I'm surprised you came down here to deal with me yourself."

"I don't believe in hiding within a gilded tower watching others attempt what only I can handle. Besides," Salem said, running her hands through the coarse fur of the Beowolf at her side as it nuzzled her hand.

Her black and crimson eyes meet Ruby's gaze. "We both know that my children would have been mere annoyances to you at best. I see no point in wasting their lives."

"Well that's a first. Never bothered you to throw them at us before." Ruby bit out, her grip tightening around Crescent Rose's hilt.

"On the contrary," Salem said, her thin fingers idly stroking the Beowolf's ear. Her lips quirked as it's long tongue lolled from its jaws.. "Despite what you may think of me, I happen to care quite deeply for them."

Salem's eyes glanced towards Ruby. "I wonder if the same can be said for you and your family, Little Rose?"

With a snarl, Ruby spun her scythe around her body, burying the blade into the ground to stabilize herself. With the barrel locked onto her target, Ruby squeezed the trigger. A lance of fire leapt from the rifle, rocketing down the street-

Only to be deflected away with a casually raised hand. The dust round ricocheted into the remains of the cafe, detonating and engulf the broken building in a roaring fireball. Ruby worked her rifle's action, squeezing the trigger in perfect time as she locked another bullet into the chamber.

Again and again, she fired round after round down the street at Salem, only for the inhuman woman to casually brush each aside with a dismissive flick of her wrist.

Lightning scorched the street, razor sharp winds tore gouges into the street, and a wall of ice ripped through the roof of another building lining the street, collapsing the already weakened walls.

Ruby snarled as she squeezed the trigger one last time, hearing the bolt click shut on the empty magazine.

Salem reached out and snatched the final round from the air. Ruby's face paled.

The Grimm woman clutched the Gravity Dust bullet in her pale hand, staring at it from one angle and then another. The round pulsed with raw energy, cracking the stone beneath Salem's feet. The Beowolves shied away from her, unwilling to be torn in half by the unstable Dust.

"Curious," she wondered, "Mankind prided itself so much in their little tools. Dust was your way of trying to manipulate nature itself. And yet, look around at the failure of all they wanted to achieve."

"Because of you!" Ruby shouted back, letting Crescent Rose shift back into a scythe, "You destroyed everything!"

"You know that's untrue," Salem admonished. "Mankind tore itself apart, fighting among themselves for centuries. Mankind's creation was a mistake. My children and I are simply nature's way of correcting the damage of those playing with powers beyond their comprehension."

The Grimm Queen allowed herself a moment of introspection. "Still, look at all I've done without your tools. Imagine what I could have accomplished with Dust?"

Salem tossed the Gravity round back towards Ruby. The Huntress' eyes widened, and she had little more than a fraction of a second to dive out of the way with the help of her Semblance.

The round imploded, violently tearing into the very fabric of the world and crushing all that surrounded it into a single, dense mass. Anything within the blast zone no longer existed, only torn scars of rock and concrete.

Ruby rolled back onto her feet, guard up and her scythe at the ready. The surviving Beowolves silently watched her. Ruby glanced back up the now empty street, then down the opposite way searching for her foe.

"Or what if I had Aura, Little Rose?" A voice asked from behind her, "What could I do then?"

Ruby snapped into action, Crescent Rose spinning in a cyclone of sharpened steel around her. She screamed, "No one gets to call me that!"

Her strikes met nothing but open palms brushing them aside as Salem danced between the wild slashes. Ruby swung faster and faster, desperately trying to score even a single blow. The electrifying feeling of her aura filled her muscles again.

Ruby exploded into a cloud of rose petals, launching herself through space and more importantly behind Salem. The next strike finally broke through the woman's calm demeanor, eliciting wide, shocked eyes.

The Last Huntress tapped into her Semblance again, and again, assaulting the Grimm Queen from every angle before her last blow had even landed. Each swing came ever closer to striking true. A grimace flickered across Salem's lips as the cutting edge slid fractions of an inch from her neck.

A snarl broke Ruby's lips. Cold filled her chest.

The last blow came hurtling in, too fast. Salem gasped as steel cut flesh.

"Enough!" The Grimm woman backhanded Ruby, sending a jolt through her bones. She landed awkwardly on the street as the rose petals drifted to the cracked ground.

Black ichor, tiny oily beadlets, dripped from the slice along Salem's cheek. Flakes of ice covered the already white skin. The droplets sizzled and burned as they fell into the blanket of petals beneath the two women's feet.

"You've become much more frustrating as of late," Salem stated slowly, wiping away the frost covering her wound.

"You always underestimate me," Ruby shot back. "Cinder did the same thing. And you know how that ended for her."

"Do not delude yourself. Cinder was human, just as flawed as all others, even with my guidance." Salem said. Angry, black energy gathered at her fingertips and very air seemed to scream in agony. "I've grown tired of these games we've played, Little Soul."

"Try it." Ruby shot back. A deep, soul numbing cold gripped at her heart. Wispy white flames leaked from her silver eye and a skull throbbing ache begun to slowly pound harder and harder in her head. "See how that works out for you!"

She remembered a long past time when she could chase away the chill and the ache with memories of a sharp smile, a stifled purr, or a terrible pun.

But she'd long since buried all those memories away deep within her psyche, and Ruby wasn't about to unlock that door anytime soon. The dead held no bearing on the few still living in Remnant, and the clock had started.

She only had so long before the pain swallowed her, and she would have to either flee and hide again, or fall and die in battle. And Ruby swore, she was done running.

Ruby raised her hand, conjuring a dozen enormous shards of ice with a mere thought, materializing them in mid air behind her.

With a cry, she launched them towards Salem, who watched the frozen missiles progress with an impassive gaze.

With an almost disappointed sigh, Salem discharged the power clutched in her hand. A wave of unnatural black energy washed over the ice, melting and evaporating every last one of them instantly. The air between the two women filled with a cold mist.

"That didn't work the first time," Salem commented idly, "I expected better-"

She cut off abruptly, eyes widening, as she suddenly leapt backwards. A frost covered scythe blade slashed across the empty air. Snarling, Ruby leapt from the cloud of mist and unleashed a series of fluid strikes all with the goal of separating Salem's head from her body.

The Grim woman slipped between every single one, Dust forged steel whipping through the air scant inches from pale white skin. Even as ruby forced herself to move faster, strike faster, wielding Crescent Rose as an extension of her own will and leaving a trail of freezing air in its wake. The Last Huntress felt her muscles straining, feasting greedily on the Aura she fed them. Cold lightning lanced through her veins and she moved at inhumanly fast speeds, well beyond the limits of even a 'normal' huntress.

Playing sole host to the raw power of the Winter Maiden had its perks.

Red and white blurs danced up the ravaged street, with Ruby in control of the pace. Where Salem had started off dodging, now she was forced to parry and deflect the scythe blade aside with her hands. Frost crept up her hands from each blow she knocked away.

An irritated frown spread across Salem's brow. "Pathetic."

Lashing out, the Grimm woman caught Crescent Rose by the blade. The icy metal bit into the flesh of her hand, but sank no further even with Ruby's entire weight behind the blow. Rime and slowly spread over Salem's fingers, encasing them in a thin layer of ice.

"This is _truly_ the best you can do, little soul?" Salem asked, her glowing red eyes flicking to the lines of black ichor running slowly down her palm. "All your powers, and _this_ is what you offer me. Perhaps I did overestimate you. You've become little more than an _aggravation_."

"Glad I finally got under your skin," Ruby grunted, unwilling to give Salem the satisfaction of the last word. She yanked on Crescent Rose's hilt, but Salem's grip held firm. "Or whatever you have. Do you even actually have skin?"

"Such a quick tongue," Salem mused. She lowered her arm slowly, dragging Crescent Rose's blade down towards the ground. Ruby struggled futilely against the inhumane strength. The tip of the scythe cracked against the broken asphalt, and Ruby realized her arms had gone limp.

"No doubt something you picked up from your sister, yes?"

A memory of golden hair stained with a mess of liquid red rose to the front of Ruby's mind. Blake's primal, furious, heartbroken screech echoed in her ears.

 _Blood everywhere. So much blood._

Something dark, and ice cold, settled deep in Ruby's chest. A whisper slipped past her lips. "Shut up..."

A chill whipped through the ruins of Vale. The Beowolves, still watching the battle between the two women, whimpered and slunk farther back into the shadows. Dark, stormy clouds gathered above the city.

Ruby ripped Crescent Rose free, launching back into a barrage haphazard of cuts and sloppy slashes. Salem weaved around them with little effort.

"Do you still blame me for what happened to your family, Ruby Rose?" Salem asked between strikes. "It's time for you to be honest with yourself."

Salem sidestepped a overhead slash that smashed into the ground with force of a piston, pulverizing the rubble into a fine dust. She raised a questioning eyebrow. "It was not my weakness that caused Yang Xiao-Long's death."

"Shut up." Ruby growled, lunging through the powdered rubble. Silver flecked with crimson glared at the Grimm woman as she slammed her closed fist into Salem's guard, sending jolts down her bones. "It's your fault!"

"Hardly." Salem's hand wrapped around the neck of Ruby's cloak and the Last Huntress suddenly found herself soaring through the air. Her back slammed into a still-standing lightpole. Her ribs screamed at her and Ruby felt the metal bend beneath the impact.

"I've only done what I've needed to in order to survive." Ruby landed hard on her hands and knees. She coughed, splattering the dusty, broken road with blood. "It was not my choice that killed Blake Belladonna."

 _Pleading words, babbled and incoherent, mixed between nights of screaming. Endless hours of dull, blank eyes staring at something unseeable. Shattering glass, followed by a horrifyingly blissful silence and twisted limbs._

"Stop. Stop… talking…" Ruby bit out. Cold numbed the fiery pain burning through her side, letting her force her way to her feet. She ground her teeth together, biting down hard enough on the inside of her cheek to draw blood.

Around her, a trio of Beowolves slunk closer. The copper scent drew them in, wafting past their noses. Their claws crunched into the ground.

A hateful, crimson eye glared out at Salem from beneath matted, red and black hair. The urge to rip the Grimm woman's glowing eyes from her inhuman skull hit the Last Huntress with all the urgency of breathing.

"You destroyed your own family, Ruby Rose. I had no direct hand in it," Salem said, casually tossing Crescent Rose to the side. The weapon bounced and clattered over the debris. "I am not the one who killed the Ice Queen, Weiss Schnee."

 _Porcelain skin and hot, sticky blood covering her hands. Silky, snowy hair slipping between her fingers. White hot rage, so vivid she could barely see straight._

Snow began to drift down from the black clouds, dancing this way and that in the violent winds.

"Do not pretend your hands are clean, little soul. The so-called Crimson Reaper collected her souls, did she not?" Salem asked without truly expecting an answer. The Beowolf nearest Ruby lowered onto its haunches, muscles ready to pounce.

Guilt, fury, and despair exploded through Ruby's veins, beating a harsh, painful tempo in her skull. Her heart pounded in her chest and her missing eye pulsed with phantom pain, a spot of white agony at the edge of her skull.

"SHUT UP!"

Silver-white energy radiated from Ruby in a pulse, crashing over the Beowolves encircling her and cascading down the street. The Beowolves shrieked, their flesh growing grey and stony in mere moments. White flames rose from Ruby's eye and another pulse reverberated through the ruined buildings. The three Bewolves, petrified mid leap, crumbled to dust as unrestrained power washed over them.

Salem took a startled step back, snarling as she shielded herself with her arms. Her pale skin cracked and petrified, fading to a dull grey. The Queen of Grimm dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.

Sensing their mistress' pain, the remaining Beowolves leapt to her defense. A rolling howl echoed through the countryside as they rushed towards Ruby en masse, pouring in over the rooftops.

"No!" Ruby screamed.

Jagged shards of ice erupted from the earth around Ruby, skewering through the Grimm charging her and shredding them mercilessly. Ruby flicked her wrist, snatching Crescent Rose from the air as it rocketed back towards her.

The Last Huntress vanished in a swirl of frost covered rose petals. A crimson streak dashed through the columns of ice crisscrossing the street in the blink of an eye. The scythe blade sang as it ripped through the air and a pale white arm fell to the ground.

Salem blinked, her mouth caught open in a soundless scream with black ichor painting the side of her face. The dismemberment happened so fast, she never even felt the slice. Even now, instead of the pain she expected the Grimm woman only felt the prickling numbness of ice creeping its way through her body.

Black shadows swallowed Salem, and she materialized atop of the broken roofs nearby. She clutched at her missing arm even as her fingers started to turn stony and still.

Ruby appeared in a red blur and a shower of petals, a murderous gleam in her eye and with Crescent Rose already swinging towards Salem's neck. The air crackled with eldritch power as ice coated the scythe.

It normally took so much effort to even summon a few shards of ice, but now it felt so easy. Power and burning rage bubbled at her fingertips, begging to be used.

"Don't you run away from me!"

Salem coated her remaining fist in unholy black power and drove it into Ruby's stomach, launching the Huntress skyward and driving the air from her lungs.

At the mere thought, a jagged pillar of ice exploded from within the building into the air above Ruby. She spun and braced her boots against the underside of the frozen structure, kicking off hard and rocketing back down towards Salem in a wild spin.

The Grimm woman rolled to the side and Crescent Rose sunk deep into the rooftop, sharp crystals of ice blossoming from the point of impact. With a growl, Ruby ripped the scythe free and charged Salem.

The second it took gave Salem a brief moment to focus herself. Black wisps and crackling lightning coalesced in her hand in the form of a dual bladed staff, materializing from the ether the same way Ruby had seen Grimm spawn.

The two weapons clashed amid the snowy gusts, before separating and slamming back into each other again and again as the two women searched for even the smallest opening to exploit. Each blow from the crimson scythe sent ice spreading over the rooftop like a white plague and each deflected counterstrike from Salem's staff cut scorched swathes into the crumbling concrete.

Blurs of crimson and white danced back and forth across the rooftop, slowly but surely destroying the building. With a growl, Ruby spun away from their latest exchange and slammed the base of her scythe into Salem's stomach. The pale skinned woman sputtered and doubled over.

Ruby swept Crescent Rose upward, slamming Salem's jaw shut and knocking the woman into the air. Flecks of black blood cascaded from purple lips. Anticipation surged through Ruby at the sight of her opponent hanging above her, vulnerable.

Roaring, Ruby swung Crescent Rose overhead and slashed across the exposed woman's body. Frost instantly froze the wound close, jagged chunks of ice exploding from Salem's back covered in ichor.

Salem gasped and spasmed, white hot pain clashing with the ever spreading chill that struck deep to her core. Her knees weakened and one of her legs gave way.

Ruby's one glowing eye narrowed. In a fit of rage, she raised her hand towards Salem, clenching her first tightly closed.

Razor sharp icicle blades sprouted from the rooftop, catching Salem through the chest and suspending her in the air like macabre sculpture. The sound of the Grimm woman's barely suppressed scream was practically musical to Ruby's ears.

Ruby stalked forward, hooking Crescent Rose's blade around the back of Salem's neck. "I warned you not to underestimate me."

Salem struggled to lift her head enough to meet Ruby's gaze. She chuckled weakly. "Indeed. It seems you've made a fool of me, little soul. Your mother would be quite proud."

Crescent Rose bit through pale skin with a sudden tug, drawing a grimace from Salem. A single crimson eye, surrounded by glowing white and silver flames, glared at Salem.

"You don't get to talk about her," she snarled, "Or about my team. Ever."

"My mistake," Salem agreed, a dribble of blood running down her chin. Ruby jolted back in surprise. "I shall remember not to make _that_ mistake again."

"What do you mean, again?" Ruby asked, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening. "Do you really think I'm just going to let you walk away?"

Salem scoffed, coughing up another wave of blood. "Of course not. I'd expect you to kill me-"

"Of course I'm going to kill you," Ruby interrupted. The scythe blade sank a touch deeper into Salem's neck. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"So hasty. Always charging forward without thought, little soul," Salem stared at her, through her. Ruby shuddered. "I am patient, Ruby Rose. Beyond what you can comprehend. You may kill me here, but you have no chance of ever winning."

Blistering heat rose from beneath Ruby's boots, and reality started to tear around them. The air distorted and space seemed to fold in on itself. Ruby's eye widened as a high pitched scream shattered the air.

The Huntress yanked hard on Crescent Rose and the blade sliced through Salem's neck effortlessly, sending her head toppling to the rooftop. Her body fell limp, her skin quickly fading from white to grey.

But it was too late to stop whatever Salem had started.

Black lightning leapt and danced across the roof, illuminating a giant, glowing glyph. Ruby tried to turn, to dash away and run, channeling all her Aura, her Semblance, any power she had left. The lines flashed with a strange, unnatural light-

And Ruby's world exploded into soul crushing torment. A tsunami of raw negative emotion collapsed over her, an unending cascade of suffering. She screamed into the void as her body tore itself apart, unable to handle the torment, baring her soul to the physical embodiment of rage, anguish and terror.

Every single bad or unhappy moment in her life rushed by her in a repeating loop, the emotions within them amplified and overpowering. She felt abandoned, betrayed, and burning hatred with no target expect herself. She rewatched every single death she'd ever witnessed, hating herself just a bit more each time, their faces searing themselves into her brain. But none more so than those of her former friends and family.

Beneath the torture, another feeling slowly grew. Regret. A desire to have done things differently. She could've done better, been better. Maybe she could have saved them.

Lightning shot through her soul, each strike ripping it apart. Right as her mind reached its limit and started to shatter one last coherent thought slipped through. "I wish I could fix everything."

And suddenly, the pain was gone.

Trembling, her body wracked by the phantom of heart stopping agony, Ruby slowly opened her eyes and blinked blearily. Flickering orange and yellow lights sat out of focus against a dark background. She tried to blink through the haze unsuccessfully.

Growling weakly in the back of her throat, Ruby sat up and struggled to lift her exhausted arms, bringing her hands to rub at both eyes-

She froze. Wait a second.

Both eyes?!

Ruby frantically felt for the scar that should've have cut from the edge of hairline down to kiss her upper lip, only to find smooth, unbroken skin. She fingered at the eye socket itself, seeing for the first time in years.

She winced as she poked herself in the eye with a mumbled, "Ouch."

It was real, Ruby realized. She had an actual, real flesh-and-blood eye again.

No, it was more than that. She closed her eyes briefly, running through a check of her own body. Every single ache and pain she could remember carrying for the last twelve years had vanished. A weight lifted from her shoulders as she slumped back down, softly smacking her head against the floor.

Despite her amazement at the miraculous restoration of her body, Ruby's well trained reflexes still caught the slight movement to her side.

Instinct kicked in. Ruby tucked into a roll, pressing off with her hands to launch up to her feet. Flicking her wrist habitually, Ruby landed on her toes waiting for Crescent Roses hilt to fly into her waiting hands.

… And she kept waiting. Ruby glanced to the side quizzically as she flickered her wrist again, surprised to find her normally gloved hand completely bare with no sign of Crescent Rose that she could see through her blurry vision. In fact, her entire arm was uncovered. A breeze brushed along the bare skin of her shoulders, missing the familiar weight of her cloak.

Well, that was just odd.

The absence of all her normal Huntress gear and her battle worn armor finally registered in her bamboozled mind. Looking down, Ruby only a black tank top and rose-covered pajama pants. She swore the last time she wore anything like this was when she'd been a teenager.

A loud sound drew her attention. Shifting her view forward, Ruby squinted through her hazy vision. Her body tensed and her Aura swirled to the surface, ready to launch her forward into a bone-cracking blow.

Only to see a familiar shape slowly come into focus before her. Shocked tears welled up at the edges of her newly restored vision. Her mouth dropped open.

"Yang…?"

Her sister. Her amazing, protective, and very, _very_ dead older sister lay sleeping in front of her, golden hair tossed wildly across the pillow beneath her head.

Ruby decided this day had just gone from troublesome, skipped right passed incredible, and stopped on downright impossible.

* * *

 **The origin for this little piece of fiction is inspired in part due to Remnant's Reclaimer by Hysterical Clerical Hijinks and Harry Potter and the Nightmares of Futures Past by S'TarKan as well as my own obsession with all things time travel. Enjoy the result of my unending addication to RWBY and my innate desire to take ideas and run with them. And people warned you that running with scissors was dangerous.**

 **Disclaimer: Assume anything you recognizes belongs to Roosterteeth while just enjoy playing with their toys.**

 **EDIT 07-07-2017: I re-wrote this mainly because I felt that, with vol 4, Salem's character was massively out of place. Since I originally started right after vol 3 ended, I had to create Salem's character mostly from scratch. It bugged me how I'd wrote her more and more, to the point where I had to go back and fix it. It also let me more directly touch on the "Silver Eyed Warriors" element as well.**

 **Overlord Swarm departs.**


	2. Homecoming

**I've been politely ordered to do this at knife point so...  
** **Brief spoiler warning here, thought it should be fairly obvious with a time travel story. None the less, if you haven't watched all the way through Volume 3, you're going to have a bad time.**

 **Now, on with the show.**

* * *

 **Homecoming**

* * *

Ruby reached forward hesitantly, jolting slightly as Yang snorted before rolling over again. Slowly, oh so slowly, Ruby twisted her fingers in Yang's soft hair.

She was _real_.

Her dead sister was sleeping right in front of her, impossibly alive and well. And so young looking, Ruby noticed as she blinked through her tears. Yang looked almost pristine, unblemished by the endless number of scars she gathered over their missions during the war.

Ruby poked at Yang's cheek disbelievingly, touching the spot she knew should've been mottled by branded scars in the shape of the White Fang's infamous logo. Or the thin line that should've run down Yang's lips. The one she always said made her feel like a pirate. It was as if someone had wiped the slate clean.

Yang grumbled, reaching up with her right hand to bat at whatever was tickling her face. Ruby expected to hear the whir of the mechanical limb moving, her practiced ear ready to assess if her sister needed any maintenance done on the prosthetic. Instead an honest to Dust, flesh and bone hand appeared from Yang's far side, swatting sleepily at her flabbergasted little sister's hand.

"Stop it, Zwei… Try'na sleep," Yang muttered, rolling over and covering her face with a curtain of gold.

Ruby stared, transfixed by the sound of a voice she hadn't heard in what felt like forever. Warm tears finally broke free and slipped down her cheeks. Other noises started to filter into her shell shocked brain as her subconscious assessed the area; snores, hums, and the occasional sniffle.

Tearing her eyes from her sister, Ruby finally glanced around the room. It was a large, open hall, filled to brim with sleeping kids. Teenagers barely at the edge of actually being adults, all in varying states of undress. The blurry lights Ruby saw came into focus, small candles ringing the longer walls of the room between massive floor to ceiling windows.

Ruby recognized it in a heartbeat. Beacon's ballroom, not a festering nest of Grimm like she'd last seen it but intact and still beautiful. Her finger nails bit into the skin of her palm hard enough that pinpricks of warm blood welled up.

How on Remnant was that even possible? The Beacon Ruby knew was so infested by Creatures of Grimm that even she avoided traveling near it. The abominations turned the entire campus into a spawning pool for more of their kind. Vale itself was nothing more than a desolate hunting ground, and the refugees who tried to still attempted to live there were naught but glorified prey.

In the end, Atlas had elected to declare Vale a black level danger zone, the highest possible alert level which designated an area beyond hope of reclamation or human habitation. As far as they were concerned, Vale belonged to the Grimm and no one else. Clearly, however, this was not the Vale Ruby knew.

Her eyes roamed over the students, instinctively looking for those she knew best. Jaune, clad again in his old, baby-blue onesie instead of his standard mass of plate armor. Blake curled up beneath one of the candles with a book by her hand. Poor Pyrrha's bright red hair glowing in the dim light. The pink and green of Nora and Ren next to each other in a corner. And then a quick glimpse of a head covered in snowy white hair.

Ruby's heart beat hard against her ribs and each breath came as a desperate gasp. Her mind struggled to process what she was seeing. Her eye, Yang, Beacon, and now this? It was too much. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Way too much.

She sprinted for the doors, zipping between all sleeping bodies and leaving only a trail of rose petals to drift softly behind her. Even her Semblance felt sluggish as bile rose in her throat.

In her rush, Ruby missed the pair of blue eyes that popped open as she dashed past.

* * *

The doors to Beacon's main hall creaked and a silent red blur shot out of the ballroom into the courtyard, making a beeline for the nearest bush. Upon arriving, Ruby promptly emptied the entire contents of her stomach onto the grass.

Stars danced in her swimming vision. Her miraculously restored vision. She wiped at her lips with a trembling hand, spitting some of the foul taste from her mouth. She couldn't actually be alive. None of them should be there. Gasps escaped from her frantically and Ruby forced herself to take one slow breath, digging her nails further into the soft flesh of her palm.

Focus on the pain and control your breathing. Normal inhale, long exhale. In and out, nice and easy. A panicking soldier was a dead soldier.

The tension pulling at her chest slowly started to fade, though the occasional shudder still sent her limbs spasming. As she regathered control of her own body, the sickly smell of vomit finally started to waft into her noise. Suppressing a dry heave, Ruby weakly stood and managed to sway the few steps to the outer wall of the ballroom. She pressed her back against the cool granite, sliding down into a sitting position and staring up at the starry night sky.

The completely shattered face of the moon stared back down at her. The moon hadn't been in that phase the night before. Of course, the night before she'd been running for her life from the Atlesian army, her dead friends and Beacon itself nothing more than memories she'd tried to forget about in countless ways.

So, altogether, the phase of the moon probably wasn't the strangest thing about this. Still, it drove home the point that everything had changed now.

A buzzing against her leg pulled Ruby from her thoughts. She fumbled with the pocket of her pajamas, pulling out the slender form of her Scroll. The communication device expanded, displaying a text message from 'Dad'.

What caught her attention, however, was the date. Specifically, the year. 79th year of the New Age, eighty years since the Great War. Which made things a little strange considering the last time Ruby checked the date, it had been the 91st year.

Twelve years. She couldn't have actually jumped back twelve years. Her hands started to tremble again. It just wasn't possible. But then again, she didn't exactly have another good explanation for a room full of once dead friends and family. Either this was the hell she'd damned herself to as a Huntress during the war or she did indeed travel through time. Ruby honestly wasn't sure which answer she preferred.

"…Ruby?" A quiet voice asked right next to her ear as a hand touch her shoulder.

"Gah!"

Startled, she yelped and grabbed the offending wrist. A hard yank pulled the target off balance and she lashed out with a reverse sweeping kick right into their ankle joints.

At least, it was supposed to be a sweep kick. Her fifteen year old self's leg was nowhere near flexible enough and Ruby ended up smacking the back of her knee into the front of her assailant's shin.

"Oh crap!" The voice said as a larger body collapsed on top of her, turning them into a pile of tangled limbs. Ruby groaned as her head collided painfully with the stone walkway. She looked up at the person on top of her, meeting blue eyes framed by medium length blond hair.

"Jaune?" she asked, wincing as her skull throbbed.

"Oh Dust Ruby. I'm really, really, _really_ sorry," Jaune fumbled out, "Please don't kill me with your giant gun scythe thing."

"I'm not going to kill you with Crescent Rose, Jaune," Ruby groaned, resting her head gently against the ground. The chilled cobblestone felt amazing to her newly born headache.

Speaking of her baby, where was Crescent Rose and the rest of her gear? After the beginning moments during the Fall of Beacon, she'd learned to never go anywhere without being armed.

"Oh thank you, thank you!"

Ruby racked her brain, trying to call back the memories from her time at Beacon. "Oh right, because Crescent Rose is in my locker. I'd have to run there and back first."

"… And then you'll kill me?" Jaune asked hesitantly.

"Probably," she shot back, with that little half smile she made just for him to let him know when she was joking, warmth spreading in her chest at the familiar moment. Jaune was the last surviving friend she had, and it had been weeks since she'd last had a chance to see him. She waited for his smirk back at her.

Instead, Jaune just stared with eyes wide as he contemplated the upcoming end of his existence.

Her grin promptly vanished as she realized _this_ Jaune couldn't read her emotions like a book. _This_ Jaune never had that back and forth friendship with her. Well, that thought sucked all the pleasant feelings away.

"Jaune, do ya' mind getting off my boobs?"

"What?" The blond knight asked before glancing down. His cheeks grew hot as he realized he'd stabilized himself by grabbing onto her chest. He yanked his hands back like they were on fire. "Sorry!"

The young man scrambled off her, looking at her out of the corner of his eye like a skittish animal as he edged towards the door. Ruby took her time sitting up, probing at the back of her head for any open wound.

"It's okay, Jaune. It was an accident. Stuff happens, ya' know? I'm not going to filet you with my sweetheart for it," she said. Her fingers came back clean of any blood. With any luck she wouldn't have a concussion either. She paused as a thought came to her.

"Though I can't really say the same for Yang. She's really protective of her 'baby' sister," Ruby said as she smiled at him with lidded eyes and blew him a fake kiss, "Not sure what she'd think finding someone trying to take advantage of her sweet, innocent, little Rubbles in the middle of the night. She might get a little… fired up."

Jaune gaped at her, blood draining from his face. He slumped down against the wall next to Ruby. "I'm too young and pretty to die…"

"You'd live. You've survived through worse," Ruby said casually, freezing as she realized she'd been thinking of Commander Jaune Arc, The Shield of Remnant and all around dork, not Jaune Arc, teenage boy and still all around dork.

"Uh- I mean, it can't be any worse than… than when your mother locked you in your room with your sisters," she stuttered out. Crap, more memories she shouldn't know about yet. "Or when your sisters braided your hair… Or… Or you know what, I'm just gonna' stop talking now, okay? Okay."

He looked at her oddly "How did you know I had sisters?"

"Would you believe a super lucky guess? Or, uh, that I have a telepathic Semblance?" Ruby asked weakly, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"A tele-what's it?"

"A Semblance? You know, the embodiment of your aura in the real world?" Ruby explained, turning to look at Jaune, a touch puzzled, "That kind of Semblance?"

"Oh right, that. Yeah, I definitely, totally know what that is. Psh, easy stuff." He paused for a second. "What's aura?"

Ruby gaped at her former comrade. She had to have heard that wrong. "What?"

"What's that aura thing you mentioned again?" he asked, his face the picture of honest curiosity.

"You don't know what aura is?" she asked, dumbfounded.

She knew Jaune snuck his way into Beacon with a doctored up transcript. That was one of the first things he'd admitted to her when they'd started traveling together with Ren and Nora after the Fall of Beacon. Later on, during the middle of the war, they'd always spend time between missions sharing stories about the simpler times, tales of sibling pranks or embarrassing parents. Just stupid things they did as kids that they could now look back at and laugh about. It made a very dark reality a bit lighter.

The fact that the past version of her last living friend and her closest confidant was completely and utterly ignorant of even the most basic of Huntsman abilities? Jaune had never quite explained the situation that way in his stories.

"I am so screwed," Ruby groaned softly, dropping her head against her knees.

"Is that a no on the whole explanation thing?"

"Aura's the power of our soul, it separates us from the Grimm. It makes us stronger and helps us fight," Ruby said, her worlds muffled by her knees. "Oh and it protects you too. Tries to keep you from dying. That's probably the best part."

Jaune nodded along with her. "Right. Got it. Not dying sounds useful."

"It is- Wait a minute," Ruby said, head popping up to peer at Jaune closely, "If you don't know what Aura is, then who unlocked it for you?"

"You have to unlock Aura? Oh man, I'm never going to remember all this," Jaune moaned.

Ruby was flabbergasted. Jaune, the walking ocean of aura who quadrupled even her impressive reserves as an adult, was sitting next to her with locked aura. With their deadly dangerous Initiation to Beacon tomorrow. She was not about to let her oldest friend die.

To her side, Jaune was still midway through his panic session. "Does it… Does it unlock with like a key or…? Do you think I have time to find a key before Initiation tomorrow? Oh crap I'm never going to have time to find one by tomorrow. Ruby, you gotta' help me."

Jaune cut himself off when Ruby placed a hand on his cheek and her other palm flat on his chest. She stared at him closely, and Jaunce swore her eyes started to glow.

"Uh, Ruby? Why are you holding my head?" He asked cautiously.

"Shh. I'm going to help, and I'm concentrating."

His eyebrow raised. "Concentrating on what-?"

"I said, _Shh_ ," she repeated with a quick glare. "Close your eyes."

"O…kay. If you say so." Jaune shut his eyes. With a quick breath, Ruby focused her aura through her hands and let it search for Jaune's soul.

"For it is through our legacy that we create immortality," she said, dredging up the memory of when Qrow unlocked her own aura. She let small tendrils of her very soul seep through her skin and into Jaune. "In legacy, we become a source of strength and hope."

"Unstoppable in life, and unforgotten in death. I release your soul and place this legacy upon thee," Ruby finished. She pushed her own aura across the tenuous connection, sending a jolt of power rippling through Jaune's body.

A brisk chill spread through Jaune's chest, not quite uncomfortable but definitely disconcerting. Suddenly somewhere deep inside him, he felt a growing warmth that ran through his very blood from his heart to the tips of his fingers. It gave him strength, and melded with the cold suffusing his body.

His eyes snapped open and he noticed his skin was glowing faintly in the night air. "Whoa. That was… That was just… What was that?"

" _That_ was me unlocking your aura. What you're feeling is the mountain's worth of aura you have flowing through your entire body on its own now," Ruby explained.

"So that means…?"

"It means you'll be ready for tomorrow's Initiation no problem!" She said, tweaking his nose with a single finger. "You'll have to train how to use it, but just having your aura unlocked makes you hit harder and lets you get hit harder. It'll keep you safe."

"Wow, that's awesome. You're amazing, Ruby."

"Nah, I just wanted to help out a friend," she said, smiling at him.

Still, it didn't make sense. Jaune had his aura unlocked the first time she saw him after Initiation. Someone _had_ to have unlocked it for him. She watched Jaune flex his hands experimentally, exploring the new way his body felt as she pondered her hazy memories of the past.

"But who could've…" Ruby mumbled to herself before trailing off as her eyes went wide.

Pyrrha. The only person Jaune was so tight lipped about in the future, and with good reason. None of JNPR ever really healed from her death. No wonder Jaune never told her about what most have been a special moment between them if she had unlocked his aura. It was practically sharing your soul with someone.

Oh crap. That meant if she actually had traveled back in time, she just threw a massive wrench into the timeline by unlocking Jaune's aura herself.

"Do you really think I'm ready for tomorrow?" His question caused her to jump.

"Uh, yeah, don't worry about it, Jaune. It's not that big a deal! Just go with the flow and it'll all work out," Ruby said with the brightest smile she could muster for him, before adding under her breath. "Hopefully…"

The blond boy looked at her dubiously. "You sure?"

"Yeah! Totally! Probably. Maybe? Okay, not the biggest vote of confidence but everything will be fine!" Ruby assured him, while internally panicking whether her actions may have just torn a hole in the fabric of reality.

Dust, she was worse at this time travel stuff then she thought. She prayed she hadn't changed anything that would stop Pyrrha from teaming up with Jaune. That could end badly. Very badly.

"Okay, if you say so," Jaune allowed, resting his head against the stone wall, "So, as much as I appreciate it you helping me, and it's a lot mind you, why're you out here anyway? Instead of, you know, sleeping?"

Ruby hesitated, poking her fingers together. Part of her wanted nothing more than to spill everything, tell Jaune exactly what she'd seen over the past twelve years. To confide both her darkest fears from the future yet to come and the terrifying but growing light of hope at seeing her friends alive and intact.

The other part reminded her, yet again, this wasn't the Jaune she knew. Not exactly, he was still the same basic person, but untempered, untested. A blade still in progress. Plus, she'd sound completely crazy. There's no way he'd believe her. She barely even believed it herself.

So she settled for a half truth, the smallest lie she could make. "I couldn't sleep. I just had a bad dream. A nightmare, really."

"Do you want to talk about it? I feel like I owe you some help," He offered. She shrugged, so he cautiously rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft smile. "I might not look it, but I'm pretty good with bad dreams. I've got seven sisters, I practically have a doctorate in dreamyology."

Despite herself, Ruby snorted. "I don't think that's a real thing."

"Nah, it totally is," Jaune said dismissively, "I've got the degree to prove it. Crayon drawn and everything by my baby sister."

That pulled an outright laughed from her, one she had to stifle with a hand lest she wake people in the ball room behind them.

"Seriously though," Jaune said as she held back her giggles, "I've only known you a day and I can tell something's bugging you. How can I help?"

Ruby shrank in on herself. If she pretended it was all just a dream, she could tell him. That wouldn't be too bad. The bigger question was how could she boil down years of war and conflict into a bad dream?

"It saw a lot of bad things. People were hurt, or dying. My friends. My family. Everyone I ever met or remembered, until at the end it was just me," she started, hesitating every so often with a little sniffle. "It was all my fault. I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to save anyone. I'm just not good enough!"

Her voice rose as she spoke, with the final statement echoing loudly through the empty night air of the courtyard. Not good enough. Not nearly good enough.

Ruby instinctively winced as she felt a hand drop onto her head, tamping down her hair trigger reflexes before she ended up hurting Jaune again. But as calloused fingers gently ruffled through her crimson hair, she felt a familiar sense of ease seeping down through her body. The time traveling Huntress closed her eyes for a moment. With his aura, a part of his soul really, leaking from his fingertips, the touch just screamed 'Jaune'.

A small grumble must have slipped past her lips because suddenly Jaune's hands froze. She whimpered. "Please, don't stop."

"Sorry," His hand started moving again. He chuckled, "I do this all the time for my sisters when they have bad dreams. I guess all you little sisters are the same."

"Are not," she muttered petulantly. It didn't stop her from leaning into his hand.

"Right." He responded, taunting her with the way he drew out each syllable. She hissed him playful, baring her canines. "Now that you're smiling, I'm going to deal with your dream."

"I don't think you can just fix-" Ruby started. Jaune cut her off with a raised hand.

"Ah-ahaha. Which one of us has a doctorate in dream-imatics?" he asked in a snooty tone.

"But that's not even what you said befor-" his hand closed over her mouth, silencing her.

"Hush. Dream doctor Jaune is working," he responded condescendingly. Ruby glared at him over top of his fingers. Something warm and dripping pressed itself against his palm, which he snatched away. "Ugh, did you just lick me?"

"Yep!"

He wiped the drool off on the leg of his onesie. "You know, I feel like I really shouldn't be surprised by that."

He sighed, "Seriously though. Okay, so you saw all these bad things happen in your dream. But they haven't happened in real life yet, all your friends and family are okay, right?"

Ruby nodded silently, and Jaune took it as his cue to continue. "So since they're all okay, that means you've got the chance to make things better before anything bad can happen to them for real, right?"

This time, he got a confused look in response. "What do you mean?"

"Well. In your dream, you weren't good enough to save everyone, yeah?" Jaune explained, "But now you can train. You can make yourself stronger and faster and good enough that you can stop anything from happening. Does that make sense?"

If he was expecting a response, he was most definitely disappointed. Ruby simply stared at Jaune with wide, silvery eyes.

"Okay, so I thought it made sense at least," he mumbled to himself as he pulled at the material on the legs of his pajamas awkwardly.

But Ruby's mind was elsewhere, racing as fast as her Semblance. Jaune was right. If she really was in the past, she could change things. She could make things better. She could make sure everyone actually survived this time around. Even if it meant digging through memories she hated, it would be worth it.

"Jaune, you are a GENIUS!" Ruby proclaimed, knocking the poor boy to the side as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a surprise hug.

"I am? I mean, of course. Yeah, totally a genius. That's me," he said, laughing uncertainly, "… Do you wanna' remind me how exactly I'm a genius?"

"You're totally right, I can make things better. I can _be_ better," Ruby rambled on, more to herself than Jaune, "But I gotta' figure out what I need to change first. Which means I have to remember everything that happened. But still, this is completely _awesome_."

Someone, or something, had given her a second chance. And she was going to use it to cheat her butt off. She knew what would happen and when, so she could make sure to be there to change everything for the better. But first, she had an Initiation to prepare for. Some things were better off happening very similarly to how they did her first time around, so she was going to take steps to ensure nothing deviated from her script.

Jaune stared at the redhead as she unlatched from his neck, quite literally jumping up and down with excitement. "I feel like I'm missing something here."

"Thanks Jaune, you're always the best help," Ruby gushed. Without thinking, she pressed her lips to his cheek before using her Semblance and sprinting off across Beacon's campus.

Jaune sat stock still against the wall as rose petals drifted in the air, numbly touching his cheek. He could still feel the warmth. "Yeah, I'm probably still dreaming. Definitely still dreaming. I'm going to wake up tomorrow and this will all be just a dream… I hope."

He started to head back into the Ball Room, only for a thought to occur to him. "Oh Dust, her older sister really _is_ going to kill me now."

* * *

 **And there we go, Ruby's already making inadvertent changes to the timeline. Because what fun is time travel if you don't mess with things?**

 **For the most part, I'm going to let my chapters slowly answer most of the questions I've gotten in reviews. Suffice it to say that I like to drop hints like breadcrumbs. Lots of little details sprinkled everywhere for those with keen eyes.**

 **One main thing I do want to address here, is the fear of Ruby being over powered. Right now, Ruby has all the knowledge, skills, and reflexes of her 27 year self and all the short comings of her 15 year old body. That's not a great combo for reasons you can see even in this chapter. In addition, she's basically been pulled straight out of a very brutal war. That does things to the psyche that are going to have a big effect as well.**

 **When it comes to her Maiden powers she displayed in the prologue, I don't want to give too much away. There will be more information on that soon, but let's say there are specific circumstance surrounding it. In the end, the point remains**

 **I'm also a little amazed by the response here, but that's mainly because I expected this to die a quiet death. Either way, thank you everyone for the support!**

 **Edit: Despite Jaune's large presence in this chapter, this is still most definitely a White Rose relationship. However, it is also going to be a slow burn romance that's a part of the overall plot. Jaune has his own very important place as a secondary character. But Weiss will be featuring heavily in upcoming chapters with Initiation, to all of you who can't wait for the Weissicle to make her appearance.**

 **Overlord Swarm departs.**


	3. Beginnings Are The Hardest

**Beginnings Are The Hardest Part**

* * *

Ruby dashed into Beacon's Armory. Her feet automatically carried her through the entrance, past the forgeg alongside the multitude of workbenches, and took her on a beeline straight to the storage and weapon locker rooms. She was still fleshing out a lot of the steps in her 'Awesome-Plan-To-Save-Her-Friends-and-Hopefully-All-of-Remnant', patent pending, but the first two were absolutely clear.

Step one, get Crescent Rose.

Being unarmed felt like being naked. Worse actually. She'd rather be naked and armed then walk about without having even the most basic weapon. You never knew when a fight might break out and being unprepared in a war usually ended up synonymous with being dead.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, Ruby realized. She did know _exactly_ when certain battles would happen if she let things progress forward the way they had the first time. She had memories from the future after all, right?

As she skidded to a halt in the center of the lockers, Ruby looked around with a slight nostalgic smile. Even though she'd only been at Beacon for a year before Salem and Cinder kicked off their plans, she still held all those memories extremely dear.

One thing those memories didn't hold for her, however, was the exact locker number where she'd stowed her gear after arriving at Beacon. Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to be irritated about the minor gap. A randomly assigned three digit number wasn't high on the list of things to remember after a decade.

Thankfully, she held the solution to that little problem in her hand. A quick few taps on her a Scroll and one of the lockers popped open, revealing her sweetheart in its compact travel form along with a mess of unorganized magazines and rounds.

"Dust, I was a slob," Ruby muttered to herself as she pulled Crescent Rose out of the locker, "I am a slob? Urgh, this is already getting confusing."

She started digging through the bullets for the extra change of clothes she remembered always leaving in her locker for emergencies. If accidental time travel didn't fall under that, Ruby honestly couldn't say what would.

Slipping out of her pajamas and into her normal corset and combat skirt, Ruby frowned as she noticed how thin her arms and legs were at this age. Even if she was extremely strong for a fifteen year old, mainly due to several years of practice swinging the massive Crescent Rose around, she was only partway through puberty. She still had several more inches to grow and she knew she had nowhere near the same endurance as her twenty-seven year old self.

Ruby slid a magazine into Crescent Rose, loading a round into the chamber with a satisfying double click. She also added a pair of extra magazines to her supply pouch. The rest would stay here in her locker in case she needed a supply drop in the field. Later, she'd organize the whole thing.

Normally, she'd take several times the amount of ammo her single bag held, but her current equipment didn't host nearly the same number of pouches and pockets. That was going to have to change, for sure, Ruby decided. She secured Crescent Rose to its holster on the small of her back, enjoying the familiar weight.

Working on getting herself back up to speed, in both in terms of physical ability and her gear, would be her main focus after she dealt with Initiation.

Which brought her to step two of her 'Awesome Plan', Reforming Team RWBY. Now this one would require a bit of finesse. Thankful, finesse was something she'd picked up as a special ops Huntress for Vale before the refugees and any remaining military personnel had been annexed by Atlas. Time to put some of those infiltration skills to good use for once.

Skipping to the nearest work bench and grabbing a screwdriver, Ruby placed her Scroll on the surface. As she made to disassemble the device, she hesitated. The diamond in the center pulsed dimly indicating an unread message. The one from her dad.

She slid the Scroll open and navigated to messages with a swipe of a finger, tapping on the bright red icon.

 _Hey Little Rose. Just wanted to wish you luck tomorrow. I know both my girls will knock it out of the park. Love you!_

A picture of her Taiyang's face, smiling and holding up their dog Zwei, displayed next to the message. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips, bitter flavored by the prickling of tears she was determined not to let fall.

While not as brutal as some of the things she been forced to witness, her dad's death had sent both her and Yang into a fairly deep depression. It wasn't even anything special or violent. Just like Ruby's mother, his team had been sent out on a routine patrol mission early on in the war. He just never came back home. After a week without contact, both of the sisters were notified that Taiyang was officially declared Missing, Presumed Killed.

Yang had pulled her normal antisocial behavior when confronted with something that she couldn't beat into submission, cloistering herself in their barracks for weeks on end. It took the combined efforts of Blake and Team JNPR to finally pull her out of it.

Ruby herself, she just knew a tiny bit of her died as well. She signed up for Special Operations training the next day and took mission after mission, barely resting. She went out on her Hunts with a mindless drive. Jaune tried to force her to slow down but she wouldn't listen and Weiss never said a word to her about it. The heiress would just show up at the departure point before each mission, right on time and tapping her heel impatiently. Even when Ruby started hiding the details from her somehow Weiss just knew where to be. It took almost a year before Ruby finally started to move on after her dad's death, in no small part due to some cold love from Weiss.

All in all, she definitely picked a significantly more dangerous coping method than her older sister.

Ruby's fingers flew across the on-screen keyboard, typing out the first meaningful words she'd be saying to her actual dad since the announcement of his assumed death.

 _Thx dad! Youre the best! I love u and I miss u so much._

Okay, so she wasn't the most poetic of girls. Sue her. She'd spent more time as a kid fascinated with ballistics and weapon engineering. And most of her time as an adult using that knowledge to become one of the most feared combat specialists on Remnant.

Ruby bit her cheek before adding a final statement, hastily revising some of her 'Awesome Plan' in her head.

 _Theres something I want to talk to u and qrow about soon. Like, real important talk stuff. Let me know when you can come to Beacon. Love u!_

With only a slight bit of trepidation, she sent the message and closed the Scroll. She could see a lot of different ways that conversation might end up going and it she wasn't even sure which direction would end up helping the most in the long run. But it was best to at least get part of it out of the way early. Rip the bandage off fast and all that. She and her father needed to have a talk.

That particular decision made, Ruby attacked the Scroll with a passion. In a few minutes, and with only a few minor curses at some of the annoying screw placements, every electronic component in the device lay on the workbench before her.

She grabbed the primary radio transmitter as well as one of the power cells and a few other wiring odds and ends. Working with delicate fingers, she connected the components together through judicious use of a soldering iron. It was slow, tedious work, but it was better than speeding through the process and ending up with a hunk of useless electronics.

After she finished soldering, Ruby reassembled most of her Scroll back into its case, minus the transmitter and one antenna she'd hijacked for her project. While only running on a single power cell might kill the battery life, it still gave the enough power to function. Crossing her fingers, she hit the power button.

The Scroll rewarded her with a morose beep as it slowly powered on. A few taps through the menus and Ruby pulled up the local map. A few minor adjustments on the transmitter and a green dot appeared on the display. Perfect.

Among the many tidbits of knowledge she'd picked up in special ops training was tracking. In this case, making homemade tracking beacons from some of the parts in a common Scroll. They weren't always successful but it looked like luck worked for her this time.

Ruby fished an empty shell out of her pocket, dropped the transmitter and battery into the metal casing, and crimped the open end around the base of the antenna. Now all she had to do was slip it onto Weiss' outfit somewhere and finding her during Initiation would be a snap.

Come to think of it, did Weiss even _have_ pockets on her any of her normal outfits? Thoughts for another time. Either way, she'd find someplace to hide the tracker even if she had to get a little… _creative_.

The barest glimmer of dawn sunlight caught Ruby by surprise as it snuck through one of the Armory windows. The sky outside was bright blue tinged with pink and orange. A glance at the time on her Scroll confirmed it was already early morning

The rest of the Beacon hopefuls should be waking up and heading to breakfast any minute now before gearing up at the Armory. That should give her plenty of time to clean up her bench, though it meant she needed to prepare to fight on half a night of sleep. Nothing new there. She ran dozens of missions on a few hours of sleep during the war and she survived in Salem's ruined Remnant on her own for years. Initiation would be fine.

Slipping the tracking beacon into her belt, Ruby just finished putting away the tools and excess pieces from her little workshop project when the first students sleepily made their way into the Armory. A few she recognized vaguely, but for the most part she couldn't recall any of the faces. Either their teams never interacted with her in any meaningful way or they never made it through Initiation.

Yang's mane of blond hair and a pair of lilac eyes immediately caught Ruby's attention the moment she walked through the door. The way those eyes zeroed in on her and Yang shot across the room to her wearing a smile that was half concerned and half relieved sent a pang shooting through her chest.

"Ruby!" Yang exclaimed, pulling the crimson haired girl into a tight hug the former war Huntress spent years missing, "I was so worried when I woke up and you were gone."

The girl in question bit her cheek as she felt both of Yang's hands press into back, trying to hold back any sobs of joy that might be a little difficult to explain. That was something she'd never thought she'd experience again. It was almost sad a simple, two-handed hug could almost break her. Tentatively she brought both arms around Yang, pulling her older sister closer and relaxing into her warmth.

"Hi Yang." She was proud her voice only cracked slightly.

Yang pulled her out of the hug, holding her by her shoulders as Yang inspected her. "Where _did_ you go, anyway?" Yang's gaze drifted over the freshly cleaned workbench and the yellow Huntress-to-be raised an eyebrow. "Did you stay up all night working on Crescent Rose again?"

Ruby ignored the question for a moment and drank in the much needed sight of her healthy, living sister before Yang's words finally registered in her brain. "What? Uh, no. No, I definitely did not stay up _all_ night doing anything. Nope, not me."

She toyed with fingers, continuing in a mumble. "I mean, technically it was only half a night. And it wasn't exactly Crescent Rose either, so…"

Yang sighed, dragging a hand over her face. "You're not still stuck on what happened yesterday, are you?"

"What happened…?" Ruby drew a blank. To her, yesterday was spent fighting Grimm, Androids, and queen of all things evil, killing her, and then ending up thrown into the past. Probably, definitely not what Yang was talking about.

"Look. You made a friend and an enemy. You'll do better today and then you can forget about that crabby white girl," Yang said as she wrapped a sisterly arm around Ruby and they both walked into the locker room.

"Oh. OH! Yeah, no. Not worried about that, at all," Ruby said as she finally caught on to the memory her sister was worried about. She really had been a bit of an idiot the first time she met Weiss. Of course blowing up a case of Dust in someone's face generally made a bad impression with anyone.

A smile spread on Ruby's face. "In fact, I am zero percent worried about that. I'm going to make a ton of friends today!"

And she was. She had that part on _very_ good authority. As long as she didn't screw something else up. She swallowed nervously as she thought of Jaune. Maybe she should have made a second set of tracking beacons for him and Pyrrha?

"Well well, aren't you chipper today?" Yang said. She pulled her shotgun gauntlets from her locker along with extra shell belts as she continued in a sing-song. "Somebody's excited for teams! Ready to take on the world with three new friends?"

Ruby opened her mouth to respond when hazy memory jumped to the surface and a smirk blossomed on her cherubic face.

"Three new friends?" Ruby bit out, causing Yang to turn and look at her questioningly.

Settling a scowl on her lips she stomped up to Yang, poking a finger against her sister's chest and reciting from memory, "My dearest sister Yang, are you implying you DON'T want to be on the same team as me?"

Holding the scowl quickly turned into a heroic effort as Yang's expression morphed into one of panic and desperation. She glanced around frantically, unwilling to look her sister in the eye. "Uh, no! Of course not. I just figured, you know, you'd want to make some new friends instead of just teaming up with your old big sis. Break out of your shell. That whole thing."

Ruby held the glare for a moment longer before she snorted, ruining the effect. She giggled into her hand as she pulled Yang into a one-armed hug. She honestly couldn't get enough hugs from her sister and she swore she'd never complain about Yang hugging too tight again.

"Kidding, sis," she said, "You are right about being old, though."

"Huh?"

"In fact, I think I see some gray hair coming in. Riiight there." Ruby poked at a random spot on Yang's head.

The brawler grabbed at her prized blond locks wildly before Ruby started to outright laugh. "You little brat. Why I oughta'…"

Yang pulled Ruby into a headlock, pressing her knuckles into her skull. Ruby wriggled in her arms as she begged. "Hey! C'mon Yang! Cut it out. No fair, you're still taller than me."

Suddenly, Yang squeezed a touch too tight around her neck and Ruby's breathing hitched. A spike of fear rushed through her veins.

Air. She needed to be free. Now.

Ruby's arm shot up and wrapped around Yang's face, pulling the older girl's head backwards. Bracing her leg behind Yang's knee, Ruby yanked back hard with her arm.

The result sent Yang tumbling backwards to the floor and ripped her forearm from around Ruby's neck. The Huntress gulped down fresh air as she spun, hand grasping at Crescent Rose's handle before her brain caught up and Ruby froze in place.

"Whoa. What was that?" Yang asked, too surprised to do more than stare at Ruby from where she sat on the floor.

"Oh my god, Yang are you okay? I am so sorry-" Ruby started, only to be quickly cut off.

"That was awesome!" Yang cried as she leapt to her feet and rushed back to her petrified sister. "When did you learn that? Did you start martial arts lessons with Uncle Qrow and not tell me?"

"Uh, yes? Yes, that is exactly what I did," Ruby agreed slowly as her pulse rate started to drop, "One hundred percent what I did. Because, uh, I wanted to surprise you?" The last bit came out as more of a question than Ruby wanted.

Yang pulled Ruby into another suffocating hug, "That is so adorable! Look at you, trying to be all grown up."

"As long as you're okay," Ruby murmured into her sister's chest.

"Aw, I'm fine. You'll have to learn more than that to take down Yang Xiao-Long!" Yang boasted, flexing her already massive biceps.

Ruby opened her mouth to respond when another voice cut in. One that sent her heartrate skyrocketing again as a ball of warmth flickered to life somewhere near her heart.

"Excuse me, but _some_ of us are trying to prepare in peace."

Ruby turned to meet the frustrated glare of a younger Weiss. The crimson Huntress was certainly glad she'd already emptied her last meal earlier that morning as frenzied butterflies exploded in the pit of her stomach, seasoned by the fearful chill that dropped straight down her spine to the tips of her toes. Her partner's name slipped silently past her lips.

"Not that I didn't expect as much from either of you after that absolute ruckus you made last night," Weiss said as she plucked her rapier, Myrtenaster, from the locker. "Honestly, you both should feel terrible the way you disturbed everyone."

Ruby did in fact feel terrible. Terribly happy. Terribly ashamed. Terribly exhilarated. Affection pooled warm in her chest as an equally unsettling wave of anger sent her head spinning wildly.

Unable to force any words past her fuzzy tongue, Ruby just gaped at the heiress, her mouth moving soundlessly. She ran her eyes over every single detail of Weiss, trying to memorize each individual feature all over again.

Yang, on the other hand, had no such inhibitions. "Geeze, we get it. You don't like us. Hate to break it to you, Snow-cone, but the feeling is mutual."

Weiss scoffed, looking away from the pair of sisters and continuing her conversation with her lockermate, Pyrrha. Something about a potential team, if memory served. Ruby was sure they were probably talking about the same thing this time, only she couldn't confirm because a painful ringing filled her eyes. She couldn't tear her eyes off Weiss. Cold rage and guilt bubbled up in her gut.

"Yeesh. What a buzz kill, huh? Who'd actually want to end up on a team with her?" Yang asked, rolling her eyes. It was only then that she noticed Ruby's silence just in time to see her younger sister bite down on her own lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Rubes, hey. It's okay," Yang consoled, pulling Ruby's shoulder and staring down into very conflicted silver eyes that seemed to shimmer. "Total lost cause on that one. Just forget about ol' Ice Queen over there."

"She's not an Ice Queen!"

It took Ruby a second to recognize her own commanding voice, laced with indignant anger. Yang stared at her, startled. The cold, hard chips of silver staring back from her little sister's face made the air feel frozen in her lungs.

Then Ruby's eyes softened and her gaze darted away awkwardly. Yang let out a relieved breath.

"She new here too, right?" Ruby started hesitantly, "So she's just like me. New school, no friends. Maybe she's just bad at talking with people? It's not really her fault. I know I'm super awkward about stuff…"

"I don't know, Ruby," Yang sighed after a moment, "I still don't think she's worth it."

"Nah, I told you I was gonna' make a bunch of new friends today," Ruby dismissed her sister's concerns. "And I'm gonna' start with her. Just to prove I can."

Plus she needed to plant a very important tracker somewhere on Weiss before Initiation started. Screw fate and chance, the white haired heiress was _her_ teammate. Ruby palmed the tracking beacon as she slipped out of Yang's arm. She spared a quick, hopefully reassuring, smile over her shoulder.

"What could go wrong?"

"The last time you said that, Zwei almost burnt down the house," Yang groaned.

But Ruby was already headed straight towards the next set of lockers, where Jaune had joined the conversation between Weiss and Pyrrha. She arrived just in time to her Pyrrha's response.

"Actually I think you would make a great team leader, Jaune," she said as she placed a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Oh, stop it," Jaune said bashfully.

"No seriously, please stop it," Weiss cut in, "This kind of behavior should not be encouraged."

An idea popped into Ruby's head. With a quick burst of her Semblance she slipped behind Jaune unbeknownst to the blond boy. Throwing a mischievous wink at Weiss, who seemed rather bemused after watching the redhead appearing as if from thin air, Ruby bumped her hip into Jaune's back.

The sudden impact threw the blond off balance and sent him flailing face first into Pyrrha's chest. His face flushed the same color as Pyrrha's hair and Ruby swore she heard a soft, "Eep!"

"I don't know, Weiss. I think Jaune is an awesome leader," Ruby said as she joined the group. "Just look at that future team bonding right there." She jabbed a thumb at the stuttering pair as the jumped apart, mumbling apologies. Weiss shot her a frosty scowl.

"Of course you would," she sneered, "You probably think _you'd_ make a great team leader as well, hmm?"

"I don't know about great," Ruby said, crossing her arms with knowing grin, "But you never know. I might be full of surprises." Her Semblance let her zip beside Weiss and wrap an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"You might not have realized this, but I'm an expert Huntress and amazing monster slayer," She ignored Weiss' disbelieving scoff. "And today I'm gonna' show you that Ruby Rose is really, really, cool."

"Don't touch me," Weiss deadpanned as she plucked Ruby's arm off her. The redhead couldn't help but shoot the heiress another grin, partly due to the absolute joy of seeing her alive again and partly due to the tracking beacon she'd just dropped into the pouch at the small of Weiss' back.

"So, it sounds like Pyrrha and Ruby are on board to team up," It looked like Jaune slipped back into his overconfident façade. "Spots are filling up quickly. I really shouldn't do this, but maybe I can pull a few strings and save you a spot on my team."

"Alright, that's a little too close," Weiss stuttered, raising her hands up as a barrier as the boy stepped into her personal space. Her eyes flicked desperately to Ruby and Pyrrha. "A little help please?"

Jaune leaned forward, blocking them both from her vision. "So what do you say, Snow Angel?"

Jealousy, a long sour note, ranged through Ruby's head at someone else using her nickname. She stepped squarely behind Jaune and started the transformation on Crescent Rose. When the hilt extended out to its full length, it slammed the heavy metal of the scythe's head into Jaune.

The boy went crashing head over heels down the row of lockers, coming to a stop when he smashed into one and dented the thick metal. Ruby knew the blond himself would be fine. His enormous aura pool could take blows like that all day. She glanced at Pyrrha and Weiss, noticing their concerned and evaluating looks respectively.

"Oops," she shrugged.

The announcement to report to Initiation echoed through the Armory. Weiss strutted away without another word, though Ruby swore she hesitated for just a fraction of a second as she passed by.

Pyrrha, however, seemed more worried about Jaune, who lay slumped face first into the locker wall. "Do you think he's okay?"

"Oh, Jaune?" Ruby asked. She turned to her once-upon-a-time only living friend. "Hey Jaune, you okay over there?"

"Just peachy," came the muffled reply, "I think I broke my face."

"Yeah, he's probably fine. He's a tough cookie," Ruby told Pyrrha with a reassuring smile.

None the less, it warmed Ruby heart to see Pyrrha lift Jaune back to his feet and hand him his sword before continuing out of the locker room. "It was really nice meeting you, Jaune. I hope we have the opportunity to team up."

"Likewise." The blond fumbled out, a hint of pink creeping up his cheeks.

Ruby handed the boy his shield, glad to see that at least there was some chance of Jaune and Pyrrha ending up on the same team again. "You probably want to keep a better grip on this next time. So, how does getting hit for the first time with your aura unlocked feel?"

"It was kinda' like getting hit with a heavy pillow," Jaune admitted. He sheathed Crocea Mors and idle rubbed the back of his head. "It was… actually pretty cool."

Ruby smiled up at him. "Good. Just remember that feeling, think about last night, and you'll do great in Initiation."

For some reason, Jaune's face exploded with the deepest blush she'd seen from the boy, both in this time and future, before it drained of all blood to a near bone white. The boy made another soft, "Eep," before abruptly about-facing and sprinting out of the Armory.

Well, that was strange.

A throat cleared behind her. She turned to meet Yang's appraising gaze, one of her blond eyebrows arched.

"What?" Ruby asked. Yang's answering grin was a touch too feral. "What?!"

"Oh, nothing," Yang said as she prowled past her little sister towards the exit, "Just wondering what you two got up to last night that had ol' Jaune-y boy blushing like a ripe tomato."

"What we did last night…" Ruby trailed off. There was unlocking Jaune's aura. Her venting some of her concern about the future in the form of a fictitious nightmare. His surprisingly helpful reassurances and then-

And then she kissed him on the cheek like she might have with an older Jaune.

Ruby groaned.

Crapbaskets.

"Yang. Yang!" She rushed after her sister, "Yang, it's completely not what you think. Stop walking away from me! I swear to god if you try to do anything, I'll replace your shampoo with maple syrup. Don't give me that look, I'll do it I swear!"

* * *

 **Yay, finally some Weiss! She ended up being super fun for me to write and I can't wait for more.**

 **So, this chapter was supposed to be about twice this length and cover events up to part way through Initiation. However, I recently got a new job and I'll be making a cross country move this weekend from Boston to Los Angeles. And I'll be starting work immediately after I arrive.**

 **As such, I wanted to publish what I have done now for you guys so you're not waiting uncessarily long for a new chapter while I go through a huge life change. I know there's nothing that I personally hate more than getting into a fic only to find out that updates painfully slowly. (Nightmares of Futures Past, I'm looking at you.)**

 **I'm still hoping to stick to updating every 2 weeks but we'll have to see how things pan out. Of course, I have a 6+ hour flight to write on so for all I know I could land and have the next few chapters done. Let's hope.**

 **Overlord Swarm departs.**


	4. Butterfly Wings

**Butterfly Wings**

* * *

The prospective students of Beacon Academy stood on the cliff side, preparing themselves for whatever they might be facing in order to earn their place in the prestigious school. At least, most of them were. One particular red headed and red-hooded girl was far too busy glaring holes into her completely aggravating older sister.

"If you tell dad about Jaune, then I'll tell dad about that time you had that party when he left you in charge of the house," Ruby hissed, "And exactly who ended up sleeping in what room. And how much clothing they may or may not have had on at the time."

Honestly, she didn't really have any exact memories like that to use as blackmail. But with all the parties Yang had held, she knew there was bound to be one that fit the rather purposefully vague criteria. Yang was a handsy drunk.

"Alright, chill out Rubes. Sheesh," Yang said, though her smirk said the discussion was far from over. The suggestive glances towards past Ruby towards Jaune didn't help at all.

The poor blond alternated between blushing as he looked at the redhead next to him and struggling to keep his breakfast down when Yang shot him a red eyed grin that promised nothing pleasant. He smiled hesitantly at the fellow blond until Yang pointed at her own eyes before stabbing her finger in Jaune's direction. The boy paled.

"Nothing happened with Jaune last night. I just had a bad dream," Ruby insisted. Yang merely waved off her words.

"Whatever you say, sis," she singsonged. Ruby groaned and rolled her eyes.

A hush fell over the students as Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch approached to give them a standard mission briefing for Initiation. The former sipping from his ever present mug while the latter regarded each prospect sternly, as if already evaluating their life's very worth.

"I wouldn't want to get on her bad side," Yang muttered out of the corner of her mouth. She shivered minutely and fell silent as Goodwitch's gaze swept over her as well.

Ruby, however, let herself zone out with a yawn and ignoring Glynda's glare with a practiced ease.

She remembered most of the brief from her first time around. Land, make eye contact with partner, go north to temple, get relic, don't die. Altogether pretty simple if it were her only objective for the day.

The Emerald Forest itself had such a low Grimm density with only a few actually dangerous Creatures of Grimm, mainly the Nevermore and Deathstalker they had fought. The rest were nothing but low class Grimm such as Beowolves and Ursa. Though Ruby did remember Ren mentioning something about wandering into a Tajitu nest. Either way, a skilled second year team of Hunters could treat the Emerald Forest like a cake walk. To a Huntress with over a decade of field missions in her head, it was going to be nothing short of utterly boring.

Unfortunately, Initiation itself was more of a side goal. Her main focus today was to make sure that the partnerships still fell into place like they did the last time she underwent Initiation. And in that same train of thought, finding Weiss before she wandered across anyone else was her absolute top priority.

Ruby risked a glance at Ozpin. The more she thought about it, the more hesitant she was of revealing her future memories to the oft distracted Headmaster, at least for the time being.

Her current, admittedly sketchy, plans for changing the future revolved around manipulating the events leading up to the Battle of Beacon. That was the tipping point that started the Vale Civil War and subsequently the Faunus Uprising when the White Fang of Vale decided to take their movement global. And beyond that, the Grimm Wars where Salem brought her own forces to the forefront in her bid to wipe humanity off the face of Remnant.

On one hand, Ozpin's role as Headmaster gave him an insane amount of power in both Beacon and the city of Vale. As the effective leader of their military in the form of the Hunter Corps, he legitimately controlled the entire region.

Having him on her side would be a huge benefit and definitely help get things done faster. But the Ozpin Ruby recalled held every card so close to his own chest that it complicated things beyond belief. Too many people got themselves killed before the illusive headmaster finally gave away any of his secrets. Case in point, herself.

Ozpin clearly brought her to Beacon for a reason. But no one ever bothered to explain why before the wars really kicked off and wiped out all the key players from the older generation. By the time the headmaster finally got around to telling her the truth, Remnant was falling apart around them. Ruby no longer wanted anything to do with the man.

She ended up muddling through things like her be-damned Maiden powers on her own without any guidance. It's not like they came with a handbook for Dust's sake. It was little wonder she had such a loose grasp on controlling them. Years of painful experience could've been completely avoided with even the briefest of conversations.

So she was hesitant about revealing too much too quickly, in case Ozpin simply decided to stay the course or, even worse, enact his own plans using her future knowledge without even letting her know.

And yeah, maybe it was a bit of petulance that held her back as well. Give the man a taste of his own medicine. But ultimately she wanted to wait, at least until she had a concrete plan in motion. Or at least a plan that wasn't scribbled across the back of the voided warranty sticker from her Scroll that she shoved into her pocket. Then Ozpin might take her seriously.

She also needed a way to guarantee his belief. Ruby would be the first to admit that time travel was a tough sell. Thankfully, that's where her dad and Qrow could prove themselves useful. It helped that Qrow already held Ozpin's trust.

Ruby snapped her attention back to the present when the first springboard launched a student skyward with a dull clink of gears. She took a deep breath, holding it briefly before exhaling and allowing it to wash away all her future worries. First rule of combat, always stay in there here and now. Whatever might happen in the future doesn't matter if you're dead.

Her scheming could wait.

The launchers quickly moved down the line of hopefuls, throwing each one by one off the cliff. Beside her, Yang shot Ruby a quick wink before slipping on a pair of sunglasses. She vanished in a flash of yellow.

Ruby settled into an easy stance, knees bent and ready to absorb the impact of the plate firing. A niggling sense of worry poked at her, despite her best efforts to dispel it. She felt like she was forgetting something.

"Uh, hey Ruby," Jaune suddenly asked sheepishly, "What's a landing strategy?"

Her neck cracked as she whipped around to stare at her friend. He could not be serious. "What?"

"What's a landing-"

"I got it the first time. You're asking that now?!" Of course he was serious.

"Yes?"

Now she remembered. Originally, Jaune asked Ozpin that fateful question before Initiation. Their conversation last night apparently changed more than she expected. However if she didn't come up with a strategy, there was going to be a Jaune pancake in the middle of the forest. She needed to think of something fast.

Barely avoiding outright panic, with her launch pad ready to fire at any second, words spilled out of her mouth in a disorganized mess as she tried to explain future Jaune's landing strategy.

"Okay, so landing is how a Huntress deals with long falls. Don't get complicated, just use your aura to-" The world vanished into a blur of blue and green, wind whistling in her ears.

Crap.

* * *

Jaune watched his only friend at this school rocket into the sky, cut off mid-sentence. She shrank into the distance and his hope at surviving dwindled to almost nothing right along with her.

He looked away from the shrinking black and red dot. She really did remind him of his little sisters, a bundle of sweetness and quirkiness. With just a pinch of terror in the form of a giant scythe-gun.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Jaune accused the Headmaster. Ozpin merely regarded him expectantly from behind gray bangs before taking a sip from his coffee mug.

Ruby had been this close to explaining the secret to landing strategies, he absolutely knew it. Too bad she was interrupted, otherwise he wouldn't be about to make a fool of himself. Or worse. The cliff stood a few hundred feet over the forest. Walking away from this with only broken bones was probably an optimistic ending.

He swallowed past a painfully dry throat.

"Use my aura," Jaune mumbled to himself. How was he supposed to do that? For Dust's sake, it'd only been unlocked last night thanks to the redhead who had probably flown almost a mile away already.

Wait. Ruby said aura could block things and stop them from hurting him, like a forcefield. And Ruby told him he held a ton of aura in his body. Maybe that would work. It's not like he had anything to lose at this point.

Sighing, Jaune adopted a wide stance on the launch pad. He closed his eyes and imagined his aura wrapped around his body like a second skin. Then he _pushed_ at it, shoving as much power into that shield as he possibly could.

Unbeknownst to Jaune, white energy swirled around him, leaking from his skin and covering his entire body in a bright, glowing halo. The air crackled with a touch of ozone. Warm flames ran across his nerves, both comforting him and electrifying his senses. It felt good.

Jaune opened his eyes and caught the ghost of a smile sneak its way onto Ozpin's face, a tiny quirk of one of his lips. He nodded to the Headmaster. "Let's do this."

The plate beneath him smashed into his legs like a runaway train, harder than he expected, throwing Jaune into a wild spin as it shot him off the edge of Beacon cliff. Sky and earth swirled in his vision, a dizzying kaleidoscope of colors. Bile rose up in his throat, but he gulped it back down.

Out of sheer instinct he threw his arms out wide, slowly stabilizing his uncontrolled gyrations into a more manageable flight. Squinting against the cold wind, Jaune scrutinized the forest. All around him Jaune saw multiple colored dots arc down into the tree line before vanishing among the leaves.

"Okay. Okay, I can do this. I can do this," Jaune told himself, his voice lost to the winds that tore at his clothes and hair.

He reached the apex of his launch arc, the weightlessness making his stomach jump into his throat. The entire forest lay spread out before him, and far to the north he caught sight of dilapidated cobblestone towers and aqua ducts. All this flashed in front him in for instant before he started to descend back down towards Remnant.

As he sped towards the ground, Jaune refocused himself and pushed more of what could only be his aura into the protective armor he built around his body.

"I can do this. I _can_ do this."

The mass of green that made up the forest resolved into individual trees, and past their branches Jaune could see the dark and ever so painfully hard looking dirt dotted with extremely sharp, large boulders. He hurtled towards the ground at an ever increasing velocity, a runaway blond bullet.

"… I can't do this. Oh god…"

Jaune threw his hands in front of his face, pumping every ounce of his will power into that shield.

"This is gonna' hurt."

He clenched his eyes shut. A roar filled his ears, pressure crushed in on his very bones and everything vanished in a wash of white.

* * *

Ruby spun herself through the air with the help of her Semblance, her cloak wrapping around her and turning her into a flying crimson missile. She broke through the top layer of branches in the forest with a staccato of cracks, throwing the shattered wood to the forest floor in a cascade of splinters.

The earth exploded beneath her feet as she landed, ripping through the loam as she skidded to a stop. Soil and wood rained down around her, bouncing off her shoulders. She smiled as a small wave of adrenaline rushed through her with another successful landing.

Learning how to use her Semblance to speed up not only her running but also her rotation in her first year was probably one of the most useful things Beacon her taught her. It certainly made her landing strategy insanely easier.

Plus being able to fly was just plain awesome. Especially with how jealous Weiss got about it. Poor girl was stuck with hopping from glyph to glyph. Yang's bunny rabbit comparisons certainly never helped either.

Brushing the remaining debris from her hood, Ruby opened up Crescent Rose into her scythe form with a flick of her wrist and surveyed her landing zone.

Everything seemed quiet. The loud blast of shotgun shells firing overhead accompanied a blur of yellow flying by with an excited, Yang-like shout. Quiet, relatively speaking. Her landing hadn't attracted any unnecessary attention. No sign of any Grimm nearby, no recent tracks or territorial marks. Perfect.

She was just reaching for her Scroll when a loud explosion shook the forest and reverberated through the ground itself, sending the crimson Huntress stumbling into a tree trunk for support. Past the treetops, a pillar of dust and dirt plumed through the clean, blue sky.

Ruby's mouth dropped open when the backlash of raw aura slammed into her body, sending tingling lightning bolts racing down her nerves. Red locks of hair stood on end, statically charged by the overwhelming power coursing through the air. Even with her fried senses, she could still recognize the quiet warmth that marked the aura as Jaune's.

That was… Different. Even ignoring the alteration in the timeline from her memories, Ruby hadn't felt that amount of raw aura fallout in a long time. Not since the final battle between Atlas and the White Fang, maybe four years before her trip to the past. The bloody Atlesian-lead assault on New Menagerie marked the end of the Faunus Uprising as well as the last organized conflict involving military Hunter Corps. Primarily because the battlefield pulled double duty as the graveyard for every single surviving Huntsman and Huntress on the planet.

Everyone except her and Jaune.

Ruby shook away the roiling bitterness filling her stomach. She was on a mission right now. Those thoughts could come later. If Jaune used that much aura all at once, it meant he should be practically invulnerable now. They didn't call him the Shield of Remnant for nothing.

Or, they wouldn't call him the Shield of Remnant, Ruby thought, future tense. Because technically speaking, they didn't call him that yet. She frowned. Tenses and time travel were going to be the death of her.

Time to get back on track. She only had one chance to get this right. Ruby fished her Scroll from her pocket, sliding it open with crossed fingers. This has to work. She needed this to work.

The map blinked to life slowly, trying to draw energy from the meager half a battery she'd left in the casing. Ruby bit her lip.

One second passed. Another. Half a minute.

Finally the small green dot sprung up with a soft blip and Ruby let out an anxious sigh. She mumbled to herself, "There you are, snow angel."

Things were straight forward from here. She slotted the scroll into the side of Crescent Rose's main stock and stepped forward.

The crack of wood sent Ruby sweeping the barrel of her weapon around her landing zone again, eyes darting between the multitude of shadows cast by the branches overhead. Her breaths ran shallow as adrenaline started to pump throughout her body full force. She wasn't alone.

A chill of unease crawled up her spine. Her reflexes, honed by hundreds if not thousands of hours in combat, flared up instantly. A torrent of new sensations cascaded over her brain as every one of her senses flew into overdrive.

The forest was completely silent now. No animals chattering, No birds. just the quiet rustle of the wind slipping through the leaves.

That was bad.

With concentrated effort, each breath came slower, softer. Ruby slid back silently, melding herself into the noontime shadows. She held Crescent Rose gingerly, the large scythe making surprisingly little noise. As if it sensed its owner's peril.

A brief burst of primal terror struck, racing through her heart and paralyzing her limbs. Her fingers shook. She knew what came next.

Only truly ancient Creatures of Grimm embodied that kind of raw fear. It thickened the very air, saturating it with malevolence. Given enough time, or a powerful enough Grimm, the emanating malintent would physically affect the world. It bathed everything in tangible maliciousness, draining energy and snuffing out life. She'd watched it dozens of times when Grimm overran villages and cities. She'd seen the effects first hand when Mistral fell.

First, all plant life shriveled away to dust, unable to bear the unnatural energies of the Grimm. Water would turn putrid, spreading disease among the wildlife. Very quickly, most animals would succumb to sickness or find themselves playing dinner to a pack of Grimm. From there, black ichor gathered near the highest concentrations of Grimm, serving as a disgusting spawn for more of the creatures and letting them spread even further across the landscape.

Another wave of fear hit Ruby, accompanied by slight tremors running through the ground and her boots. Something large and black shifted between the trees branches, almost thirty feet off the ground. A glimmer of sunlight flashed off the beak-like white bone mask. Sleek flanks rippled with hidden muscle as the creature stalked through its forest, its massive wings folded close to its body.

She'd stumbled into the territory of a greater predator, a Griffon. A worried frown creased her brow. Even the lowest Griffon still rated a higher class than anything that should be prowling the Emerald Forest. Ruby pulled her cloak tight around her, leaping as quietly as possible into the crisscrossing limbs of the trees as the grass started to brown and wilt away.

And not just any old Griffon, but based on its size she'd run across an Elder Griffon. Old enough that its very presence sapped away at all living things. The bark on the trees cracked and split. She could feel it even now tugging at her aura. But she couldn't risk strengthening the barrier provided by her soul for fear she'd draw the Grimm's attention straight to her.

The Griffon stopped, still only partially visible among the trees. Its glowing red eyes searched the dark wood and green leaves. Two huge puffs of air spouted from its nostrils as it sniffed the air. Ruby held her breath and sweated beaded along her brow.

In the back of her mind, Ruby felt the creature's presence pulling at the dark thoughts she stored there. Black tendrils licking at the inside of her skull and dredging up old memories from the Fall of Beacon. Dark skies splattered with red firelight as her school burned. Crimson and yellow. Gasping last breathes. Pyrrha.

She slammed the memories down, locking them away before they could escape any further and draw the beast. Even so, she could already feel her pulse quicken. A short snarl slipped through bitten lips.

The Griffon snorted the air again. How she wanted to cut its beak from its face. Icy hands gripped Crescent Rose's hilt. Ruby braced herself, channeling her Semblance to her legs. She needed to make the first blow count. After she lost the element of surprise, she knew it would be an uphill battle to regain the initiative against an Elder Grimm unless the creature was already wounded. Or dead. She rather preferred the latter.

The Griffon turned its head away, exposing the soft flesh behind the mask.

Now was her chance! She leapt forward-

A soft beep from her Scroll broke her train of thought, nearly sending her catapulting into a nearby tree trunk as she lost her focus. Ruby spun in midair, rebounding of the wood with tiny thud.

Weiss. How could she be so stupid? Ruby knew didn't have the time to waste fighting Grimm, not if she wanted to guarantee Weiss as her partner. Even an Elder Grimm that most definitely posed a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of all her old friends now running about the Emerald Forest.

Ruby gritted her teeth. Priorities. Partner with Weiss first, slaughter this dumb Grimm for interfering with Initiation second. Now she just needed to make her escape, quietly.

Plucking a decently sized rock from the forest floor, Ruby pitched it skyward in the direct opposite direction of Weiss based on her Scroll. A few moments later, the crack of stone on wood echoed through the forest.

The Griffon's head snapped towards the sound. It peered into the dark woods, sniffed, and with a soft squawk trot off to investigate this new disturbance. The ground shook with each step it took, its massive bulk shoving aside trunks and ripping limbs from trees.

Ruby waited for the reverberations to fade before dashing away, zipping between the trees silently towards the little green dot that represented Weiss. Green and brown blurred in her vision as she searched for partner.

Fingers tensed around her scythe as she blazed past an Ursa, sending the bear-like Grimm reeling onto its back. She could still turn around and finish it off. A quick slice and there'd be one less Grimm to trouble anyone…

No. Weiss first, Grimm later. Weiss always came first.

The beeping from her Scroll grew more insistent as the distance between Ruby and the Weiss-dot shrank. Ruby's eyes darted over the forest in front of her, searching for a splash of ivory among the earthen tones of Emerald Forest. Or a glowing glyph floating in the air. Maybe just a shattered and burnt out tree or an awkwardly placed pillar of ice.

Any sign she could recognize as Weiss, really. Maybe a high pitched scream about bugs even. She knew Weiss hated spiders.

A flash of white caught her eye, the top of a white haired head poking over some bushes off to her left. A smile grew on Ruby's lips, blossoming into a full on ecstatic grin. She snatched the Scroll off Crescent Rose and dropped into her pocket. No need for it now, she thought with a giggle.

"Hi, new partner!" Ruby said as she exploded through the bush, scattering leaves and rose petals around her. Pale blue eyes, flickering with recognition then exasperation, met bright silver ones. Ruby wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or cry with joy. The icy orbs flicked up and down her before narrowing and flicking off to the side.

"Hmph."

And then Ruby's gaze found the pair of inquisitive green eyes framed with vibrant red locks right next to Weiss. The smile on the scythe-wielding Huntress' face stiffened and her stomach dropped right into the heels of her boots.

Oh no. This was really bad. Really bad.

"Pyrrha?" The name tasted like heavy ash on Ruby's tongue, such a different flavor than the usual sharp bitterness of guilt.

This couldn't be happening. No, no, no!

"Hello again!" came the cheery response, accompanied by that perfect smile. One that Ruby had the sudden urge to knock a tooth out of if only to sate the bubbling heat in her chest. Idly, a pragmatic part of Ruby realized the choice between laughing and crying had become a lot more one sided.

"I- But you… But when I… Last time I… How did-" Ruby struggled to get a full sentence past her dry tongue.

"Well, you're certainly less eloquent now. I shudder to think what being _your_ partner will end up like," Weiss scoffed, flicking her offset ponytail over her shoulder. Ruby's hands shook, so she wrapped them tighter around Crescent Rose.

"C'mon, Ruby's not that bad once you get to know her," a voice piped up from somewhere around their knees. Ruby looked down, surprised to see a rather familiar blond knight sitting on the burnt and broken earth.

"Jaune?" she forced out. "What?"

"Hey, Ruby," Jaune gave her a small wave. The boy's clothing looked worse for the wear, covered in dust and tears. A large crack ran down the center of his chest armor, a clean cut straight through the Dust enhanced metal, and some of his smaller plates were outright missing. Surprisingly, not a single scratch marred his skin.

"What happened to you?" Ruby blurted out before she finally looked around. She only now realized the four Hunters stood at the edge of a newly created field in Emerald Forest, a massive crater located in the center. Broken branches littered the artificial clearing, as well as some completely uprooted trees, all of which were covered in scorch marks.

It was as if someone had set off a bomb, something Ruby was intimately familiar with.

"Better question, what happened to the forest!?"

The other two girls both looked at Jaune, one with admiration, the other with thinly hidden frustration. The boy raised his hand with an awkward little laugh.

Ruby's mind blanked. "But… whuh… how did you…?"

He shrugged. "You said use your aura."

Weiss' gimlet eye returned to Ruby. "Of course, wherever there's an explosion you're somehow to blame." Weiss turned to the Mistrali warrior beside her. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to trade partners?"

"Thank you, but no," Pyrrha said. She grabbed Jaune by the forearm, easily hauling the boy to his feet. "Professor Ozpin was rather explicit about eye contact."

A bright red eyebrow quirked upward as she smiled at the blond, absentmindedly brushing some of the dust from his shoulder, "Besides, I happen to remember you weren't keen on joining 'Team Jaune', were you Weiss?"

The knight in question blushed and rubbed the back of his head while Weiss nudged the dirt with the toe of her shoe.

"Yes, well," she mumbled, waving her hands at the destruction around them, "That was before he demonstrated… This. Whatever this is."

"Wait, time out for just a second," Ruby exclaimed, holding her hands up. A small flame of hope sparked in her breast. She pointed back and forth between Weiss and Pyrrha. "So you two aren't actually partners?"

"Unfortunately," Weiss sighed. "I'm sure you heard the blast, yes."

Ruby nodded, but Weiss continued on without pausing. "I came to investigate the source, only to find Pyrrha had beat me to the punch and stumbled across Mr. Arc here. They made eye contact first so no, Pyrrha is not my partner."

"So, you and me?" Ruby said, pointing between her and Weiss with a grin, fighting the desire to laugh again. She had to be sure first. "We're partners?"

Weiss scowled. "As much as it pains me to admit, yes."

"We're combat buddies?"

"Ugh, yes."

"We're amigos? Comrades in arms? Dual defenders of the innocent?"

She could see that telltale vein forewarning Tropical Storm Weiss pulse along the girl's temple. "Yes, you dolt!"

Ruby finally did laugh at the familiar insult, warmth flooding her body and cheeks. "Well, alright then!"

Crescent Rose shrunk back into her storage mode, clipping neatly to Ruby's back as she stuck out a hand to the Schnee Heiress. "Hi partner. I'm Ruby Rose!"

Weiss watched the hand cautiously for a moment, before tentatively reaching out to shake it. "This does not make us friends by any means, Rose."

"Aw, don't be like that, Weiss. I'm gonna' be the best teammate ever," Ruby said, relishing the flutters in her heart as she quoted back the vow the girl had once made to her a long time ago. "Promise."

And this time, Ruby thought, you aren't going to die on me. Not while she still drew breath.

"That remains to be seen," Weiss countered, pulling her fingers from Ruby's grip. Ruby just grinned broadly at the Heiress as she turned to the other prospective students. "Now that we all have partners, shall we continue onward then?"

"Indeed!" Pyrrha said with a sharp nod before hesitating, "Although I'm not quite sure what are heading is. Headmaster Ozpin's instructions weren't very clear beyond heading north."

"I know where to go," Jaune pipped up, blushing when all three girls stared at him. "I mean, after I launched I saw a bunch of old ruins way up that way. I figured those have to be the temple Ozpin was talking about. There's a river that runs its way north. We can just follow that."

"Well spotted, Jaune," Pyrra rewarded the boy with a bright small, one that proved infectious.

"Quite observant," Weiss agreed, "I'm beginning to regret my first impression of you, Mr. Arc. You possess an eye for detail as well as a powerful aura. A clear leader in the making."

"What about me, Weiss?" Ruby asked hopefully.

A single, skeptical white eyebrow rose in response. "What about you?"

"I can be observant, too, ya' know," Ruby pouted. The patter of soft feet reached her ears as lithe shadows darted through the underbrush, "Like I can 'observe' the pack of Beowolves that are circling us right now."

Weiss' blue eyes went wide. "What? Beowolves where?"

"Uh, probably a bad time, but could someone remind me what a Beowolf is?" Jaune asked, but his question went ignored.

"Pairs. There, there, and there," Ruby said, pointing at each one. Their red eyes bore into the group as the bipedal wolf Grimm emerged slowly from the thick bushes, cautiously approaching their prey. Poor things couldn't comprehend that they were as good as dead, Ruby thought. She felt a ravenous, dark gaze glaring at the back of her neck. "Ooh, and the Alpha lurking right behind us. He seems angry."

"An Alpha! Why didn't you say something earlier?!" Weiss bit out as Pyrrha, Jaune, and the fencer all scrambled into defensive positions.

"I'm guessing an Alpha is bad?" Jaune asked Pyrrha out of the corner of his mouth, hefting his shield and sword. The Mistali tournament fighter nodded quickly as she swept her rifle over the creatures, waiting for her first target.

"Alpha's are Grimm who have lived long enough to earn leadership of their pack. They're much larger, and stronger, than the rest of their kind," Pyrrha explained.

"And much more difficult to kill. Remember to watch your aura level," Weiss added.

"Guys, come on. They're just Beowolves!" Ruby said in exasperation. Honestly, she didn't remember being this worried about fighting a few Beowolves the first time she was fifteen years old, much less this time around.

Crescent Rose found its way into her hands effortlessly, the blade extending out with a satisfying clink. Ruby's body vanished in a sanguine blur as she raced towards the closest Grimm, heedless of Weiss' screamed, "Wait!"

The scythe wielder appeared crouched before the monster in a flash of crimson and black. The Beowolf snarled down at her. She grinned back viciously.

"Hey there!" White claws slashed at her, parried easily off to the side with a twirl of her scythe. "Dark, quiet type, huh? Girls love mysterious guys."

"Ruby, get back here!" Weiss shouted. Ruby glanced over her shoulder at her partner with a wry smile.

"Aw, Weiss. Don't worry so much," Ruby quipped. Crescent Rose danced in her hands, knocking away blow after blow before deftly removing the creature's claws with a quick slice. The Beowolf stared at its missing hands dumbly. Ruby's next strike bisected it and it vanished into ethereal vapor.

"It'll be fine. I know what I'm doing," Ruby finished, already moving onto her next victim. The other Beowolves begun to close in around her, favoring the isolated target over the more defensive trio.

"We must do something," Pyrrha said, transforming her rifle into its gladius form and hefting her shield, "Before they completely surround her."

"If you have any ideas to help that imbecile, then please enlighten us," Weiss shot back.

Jaune took a deep breath, biting down his fears. The short red haired girl expertly filleted another one of those wolf monsters, but for every one she cut down another two immediately filled their place.

After just a moment of hesitation, he took off at a jog towards his currently only friend at this stupid school. "We can't just stand here. C'mon, we gotta' watch her back."

Pyrrha was less than a step behind him. The Mistrali and Vacilian both leapt shield first into their enemies, opening a hole in the shrinking ring of monsters circling around Ruby. The cloaked teenager let loose a exuberant laugh, watching Pyrrha cut down Grimm after Grimm while Jaune fumbled around trying to protect her back.

Ruby skidded to a stop next to Weiss, nearly causing the slightly, _only slightly_ , taller girl to shriek. Her new partner stood by her side, leaning casually against her oversized scythe and shot Weiss a quick smile.

"Told you I was good at killing monsters." Silver eyes turned to the Heiress questioningly, one peering through the edge of her dark crimson bangs, "You gonna' join in on the fun or not, Weiss?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" Weiss scoffed with a roll of her eyes, trying not to sound too impressed with the way she had just cut through nearly half a pack of Beowolves. And without breaking a sweat. The girl was still reckless beyond belief, charging in alone like that.

Ruby pretended to consider the question for a moment before giving a cheery, "Nope!"

"I thought as much."

Ruby swapped out the magazine in Crescent Rose's rifle, working the bolt and sliding a fresh round into the chamber. "Let's have some fun."

"Define fun for me, Rose," Weiss said with a dark look as she readied her rapier, Myrtenaster.

"See the Alpha," Ruby pointed behind the mess of claws, swords and shields that made up Jaune and Pyrrha fighting. "Let's kill it. You clear the way and I'll take care of it from there. Easy-peasy."

It would be for her at least. That wasn't the point. The point was getting Weiss on the same wave length. Half of their issues her first run through life stemmed from Weiss' terrible first impression of her and her own lack of discipline. This time around she could demonstrate for Weiss exactly what she could do and prove they would be good partners. Great partners even.

"Are you sure?" Ruby could just barely hear the hesitation underneath the Weiss normal calm superiority.

"Yep! Let's go." Ruby shot back towards the Beowolves. A split second later, Weiss sailed past her, the distinctive blue and white glow of her glyphs propelling her forward and her blade wreathed in fiery dust.

Weiss thrust impacted the two Beowolves that blocked their path, detonating into a raging inferno that consumed both of them instantly. The Heiress slid to the side to intercept one of the few remaining monsters and entered into a bladed waltz with the creature.

The downside, Weiss exposed her vulnerable back to the leader of the pack. Already the Grimm made to capitalize on the opening, claws streaking down. But there were two parts to every strategy. Weiss may have presented a prime target to the Beowolf, but she also gave Ruby a straight shot at the Alpha.

The Last Huntress of Beacon grinned ferally and slammed into the Grimm like a train. Its claws snapped and shattered on the hardened metal of Crescent Rose. The Alpha snapped its fangs at, desiring nothing more than to tear her heart from her chest for depriving it of its next meal in the form of the white haired fencer.

"You don't get to touch her," Ruby whispered, her eyes flashing red with a well of endless hatred.

Ruby knocked away the next strike, slipping neatly inside the Grimm's reach. She slammed the back of the scythe into its stomach, forcing it to double over with a pained growl.

"Bad doggie," Ruby chastised mockingly, "No biting."

She wedged the bottom of Crescent Rose's hilt beneath the creature's chin and fired. The shot's recoil launched the Alpha up into the air, a cleanly exposed target. Ruby followed, a quick leap putting her at the same height with her blade resting across her shoulders.

Her Semblance gave her all the time in the world, slowing things down to a crawl as she pulled hard, swinging Crescent Rose down towards its prey and letting the momentum carry into a spin of slashes that would shred the Beowolf.

At least that was the plan in her head. The second she surrendered herself to the mercy of her spin, Ruby realized she was going far, far faster than she accounted for originally. She swore violently. A smaller teenaged body spun much more easily than her adult one. Her fingers struggled to hold on to her scythe before the raw velocity of her rotation ripped the hilt from her hands and sent Crescent Rose to bury itself into the trunk of a tree.

And her Semblance let her watch in exquisite detail as she collided hard with the Alpha Beowolf's head. A solid thunk of skull on bone echoed through the clearing. They hit the forest floor in a tangle of limbs and Ruby struggled to pull herself to the side as her head spun dizzyingly.

Blink.

Sneakers and clawed feet danced on the ground before her, kicking up puffs of dust and knocking broken stone asunder. Strangely silent.

Blink.

Scuffles, slices, and roars slowly filtered through her ears now. They came in slowly, lagging behind the visual scene as it played out before her.

"Why is it always my head?" She moaned softly, blinking through the sparkling blobs that ate away at her vision. She let her face rest in the dirt, unwilling to move.

An echo bounced into her ears, a jumbled mess. She groaned. "I think I have a concussion.

Another echo, this one thankfully more audible as her aura rushed to heal and soothe the pounding in her skull. In a few minutes she'd be brand new. "Rose! Rose, you have to move. Ruby Rose, move!"

That was Weiss. Ruby knew that voice.

"It'sa okay, Snow Angel," She slurred, "I'mma gonna' be okie dokie in a sec."

"RUBY, MOVE!"

"Kay, I'mma movin'," she rolled onto her stomach, tossing a quick thumbs up towards Weiss.

A wave of nausea swept over her briefly, but Ruby forced herself to her knees none the less. Even with her aura speeding up her recovery to mere moments, she still needed to get back on her feet. A down soldier was a dead soldier after all.

Her head raised to meet a pair of murderous canine eyes. The Beowolf sniffed at her curiously, as if it was searching for something. The red orbs stared into her silver ones.

"Oh," her words came slowly and her thoughts were even more sluggish. Absently she realized her hands missed the familiar weight of Crescent Rose. The instinctive flick of her wrist to summon her baby back to her was more reflexive than anything else. She needed to make that upgrade again sooner rather than later.

Demonic lips pulled back revealing wickedly curved fangs as the Alpha snarled directly her face. Its muscles tensed, rearing an arm back. This was going to hurt. A lot. Granted, she'd had worse, but still. On a scale of one to pain, this was going to be a definitive 'owie'.

"Well, son of a b-" her curse cut off as the plummeting claw slammed into a white shield with a resounding clang.

Jaune stood guard over her, his body blazing with white aura. The knight pumped out such insane amounts of energy that it held physical form, swirling around their feet in tiny eddies and currents.

The Alpha roared at the blond, slamming its other claw down onto the shield. Bone screeched on metal, but Jaune stood tall, reinforced by the unlocked aura coursing through his limbs. He roared back, "Don't hurt my friend!"

Hm. That was definitely new.

Jaune swung his blade wildly, opening up mere nicks and cuts in the Beowolf's hide. There was no pattern to the blows, no real style, just a teenaged boy trying to hurt the creature in front of him as much as possible.

The Alpha howled and slashed at Jaune in return. With each hit, Jaune winced and the amount of aura he was leaking stemmed ever so noticeably. The last blow, a vicious backhand, smashed through the last dregs of power.

Jaune flew backwards, tumbling down into the cratered center of the clearing with a yelp. Red and gold filled his place a second later as Pyrrha joined the fray. Ruby watched with no little fascination as the Mistrali effortlessly danced around the Alpha, switching between dodging and blocking without pause as she waited for the best time to strike.

Even with her years as an Elite Huntress, the grace Pyrrha exhibited even at this age outmatched most of the soldiers Ruby had served with. There was clearly no doubt how she'd achieved the nickname Invincible Girl. If she had the chance to blossom into full adulthood, Pyrrha would be nigh unstoppable.

No, not if, Ruby corrected herself as Pyrrha exploited a barely-there hole in the Grimm's assault, burying her sword deep into the monster's chest. Pyrrha _would_ have the chance to reach her adult years and beyond. Ruby was going to make sure of it.

The Alpha dissolved, leaving this section of the forest clear of Grimm once again. Ruby gingerly stood, thankful her legs didn't wobble even a little.

"What were you thinking?" Weiss' angry shout made her regret standing. So much for being on the same wave length, "No, don't answer that, because you obviously _weren't thinking_!"

"Would it help if I said that move normally works a lot better?" Ruby tested her partner hesitantly.

"NO!"

"Okay…" Ruby said, before continuing under her breath, "But it seriously totally does…"

"Ugh!" Weiss threw her hands towards the sky, "You are such a child! I don't know what's worse, the fact that I'm clearly going to have to babysit you or the fact that I'm going to have to do it for the next four years! Where are you going now?"

Ruby listened with half an ear as she walked over to Crescent Rose and, with a good yank, pulled her free from the tree trunk. Turning to Weiss, she said, "I mean, I did kill half of them. Yeah, I messed up with the Alpha, but killing half of them, that's gotta' count for something, right?"

"Close only counts for horseshoes and fire dust," Weiss shot back, hands planted firmly on her hips. Behind her, Pyrrha helped a bruised Jaune limp to his feet.

"I think you're overreacting a tinsy little bit here-"

"I think you have no place in this Initiation," The Heiress ground out between clenched teeth. Ruby opened her mouth when her senses suddenly screamed 'danger' at her. She scanned the clearing again as she loaded a fresh magazine into Crescent Rose.

"...And no place at a school as prestigious as Beacon…"

Weiss kept right on ranting. Ruby toned her out, a skill she mastered within weeks of her first entrance to Beacon and one that her white haired partner certainly gave her plenty of practice on. The forest seemed perfectly quiet. No shadows slunk beneath the branches, no demonic creatures shuffled through the underbrush.

"...And definitely no place on a team with someone so far out of your league…"

Ruby's frowned deepened. Nothing seemed amiss, and yet her body still told her that her life, all their lives, were in mortal peril. But the Emerald Forest was so silent.

The crimson Huntress' mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. Silent. No animals at all. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Just barely, she could feel the ground shaking beneath her boots.

"In fact, you shouldn't even be a Huntress with your unbelievably reckless behavior."

"Weiss," The scythe-wielder's cold tone caught the Heiress off guard, a complete departure from her previous playful attitude. Just her name, practically infused with ice, was enough to cut the white haired girl off mid tirade without another word.

"What is it, Ruby?" Jaune asked as he and Pyrrha rejoined the two shorter girls. He shivered as that freezing silver gaze turned on him.

The crack-pop of wood splitting drew all four teenagers attention to the far edge of the clearing, where they could see the trees shifting as something big moved towards them, the trunks swelling out of its way like an onrushing wave.

"We're about to have company," Ruby muttered, cycling her rifle's action. She could hear each step the creature took, loud reverberations that thundered through the forest air.

"What kind of Grimm…" Pyrrha trailed off, her question left hanging in the air as a massive form exploded through the treeline and entered the clearing. Bits of wood tumbled around the students as four mighty clawed legs pawed at the ground, digging massive gouges into the dirt.

"A Griffon," Ruby answered simply.

The wings on its back fluttered, shaking loose even more debris caught in its iron-like hide. A whip-like tail lashed back and forth, slicing through the trailing edges of the trees easily. Ruby grit her teeth as its shadow engulfed her, the monster towering over all of them.

"It's huge," Jaune whimpered.

Its bone white beak and bloody eyes surveyed them one at a time, piercing them down to their very souls and judging each of them as insignificant. Mere bugs before its terrifying stature. Jaune shivered, the Grimm's unnaturalness tugging insidiously at his already depleted soul's energy.

It finally locked on to Ruby's defiant silver gaze. Recognition sparked deep inside the demonic visage, followed by a terrible hunger. A desire, a need, to destroy her and wipe out her very existence. The Griffon shrieked, rearing up on its hind legs and beating its wings, a challenge to the Huntress.

When the Griffon landed, the resulting earthquake quite nearly knocked all of them to the ground. Only Ruby kept her balance without an issue, never breaking eye contact with the ancient beast before them. The Grimm kneaded the soil, sinking low as the muscles along its flank tensed.

"What do we do?" Weiss whispered, her voice thick with panic and desperation as the creature's terror inducing miasma settled on them.

"We do what any good Hunter does, Weiss," Ruby explained. She tore her gaze from the Griffon and gave the three next to her a dangerous smile. "We're going to kill it."

The Griffon roared, a cry that echoed through them, down to their very souls, with a painful dissonance.

Then it charged.

* * *

 **Well, as Yang would say, that's a thing.**

 **This chapter took a much different direction than I expected. Yet again, I find myself wanting to write longer chapters until time gets away from me. Honestly though, I'd rather post consistently and never get as far as I expect with each chapter than leave everyone waiting.**

 **BTW I'm alive in LA, almost fully settled. Just a few more days for the rest of my belongings to arrive. My new job is pretty great, even if it eats up a bunch of my time. I'm doing video technician and quality control work on all original series and movies made by a certain popular web streaming service. You know, the one you chill with.**

 **Unfortunately, there's so much stuff I'm managing now that I'm literally sitting by my phone at all times in case I'm needed.** **Hopefully once I'm fully moved into my apartment I'll be able to get a bit of a schedule together. I'm still planning to stick to my guns and update Crimson Memories every 2 weeks. Chapter size may vary though.**

 **As an aside, the cruel part of my soul really wanted to just end the chapter when Ruby first noticed Pyrrha and leave you all howling for my blood. But it was only a few thousand words and not nearly enough to post. Consider yourselves lucky this time around...**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	5. Trials and Trust

**Trials and Trust**

* * *

A crimson blur smashed through the trees in an explosion of splinters, tumbling across the forest floor in a cloud of dust. Ruby rolled back onto her feet, skidding to a stop. Her entire body felt like one massive bruise even as her aura struggled to heal her wounds. Quite the challenge with how fast the the Elder Griffon inflicted them.

That monster hit damn hard.

She swirled her tongue around her cheek. Spitting out a globule of blood from where she bit herself, she scanned the impromptu battlefield for their next move. Because, in a word, this fight was going badly.

The Griffon roared, sending an eerie ache through Ruby's head. A white figure shot across its bulky form, bouncing between glowing white glyphs. Her rapier, infused with the very elements, rained strikes down on the monster's steely hide as Weiss landed another futile attack. Fire, lightning, razor sharp wind. It all bounced off without leaving a mark.

Deadly claws swept violently through empty air a second later as the Heiress repositioned for another assault, narrowly avoiding a bloody end. It was too bad it would likely be equally as pointless.

The creature screamed its frustration as its prey darted out of its reach. Tiny little stings bounced off its armored face courtesy of Pyrrha's expert cover fire, infuriating it even further. The Mistali knelt at the edge of the clearing by a large outcropping of rock, Jaune's exhausted form lying next to her.

She alternated between bursts of gunfire and trying to treat Jaune's exhaustion with boosts of her own aura directly into the boy's chest. Ruby bit her lip. Pyrrha had the right idea, but Jaune's massive aura pool meant he needed an order of magnitude more than the average Huntsman before his own aura production would kick back in.

Jaune tried to stand, only to collapse again, shaking his head weakly at Pyrrha when she tried to give him another dose. The blond was honestly more a hinderance than a help at this point and even he knew it.

Ruby grit her teeth, furious at herself. Jaune's own lack of experience with aura forced him to burn through nearly all of it when he defended her after her own idiotic blunder. It shouldn't even have been an issue if she'd been able to act like a competent Huntress just once since her arrival to the past. But no, she screwed up and now Jaune was paying the price for it. She was better than this.

Damn it all.

Weiss finished her newest barrage of blows, dropping back to the forest floor and gasping for air. Exactly the type of opening that Ruby was waiting for. Attack, swap, and rest. It was their favorite team strategy, never letting up and wearing their enemy down to the bone..

Resettling Crescent Rose in her hands, Ruby exploded back into the fight, her scythe a twirling dervish of steel. She showered the creature's front legs with slashes that did nothing but sketch superficial scratches on its skin.

Leaping up, Ruby let herself become a tornado of metal as she targeted the Griffon's face. Steel bounced of chitinous bone armor, scuffing it at best. Ruby landed on its back, sprinting down the length of its spine while swinging Crescent Rose back and forth.

She would kill this thing somehow! Even if she had to slice it to ribbons with what amounted to papercuts.

The creature bucked suddenly, throwing the red haired Huntress into the air and leaving her vulnerable. She kicked out, expecting to bounce back and away off of one of Weiss' glyphs.

Instead, her feet flailed through mere air. Ruby swore briefly as a black blur hurtled toward her.

The Griffon's tail slammed into her side, launching her back across the clearing and into another tree trunk. The third time in just as many minutes. She swore she heard her back crack as she bounced off the tree and collapsed to the earth. A lance of dull pain surged through her side.

That was sloppy.

More blood leaked from her poor tooth-marked tongue, metallic and tangy. "Damn it, Weiss. I need you to cover me!"

Weiss broke off her assault, propelling herself away from the Griffon with a quick Glyph. She landed next to Ruby, glaring daggers at her new partner. "I'm trying!"

"Yeah, well, you're going to have to try harder," Ruby shot back, "At least if you don't want to die out here. Pyrrha, can you buy us some time?"

"On it," the warrior acknowledged, charging at the Griffon with the sole goal of drawing its attention away from the rest of her new friends. She wasn't foolish enough to believe for a second she could kill the thing on her own.

"It would be a little bit easier if you actually slowed down for a second and communicated before running out there and engaging in another pointless attack," Weiss growled.

"Are you kidding? We don't have time to 'communicate'. You should be able to see the openings I'm giving you. They're obvious!" Ruby insisted.

"Obvious? You charge at the thing waving your oversized gardening tool like a maniac. What part of that is _obviously_ an opening?" Weiss said, stabbing her finger at Ruby's chest.

Icy eyes stared the redhead down, so familiar and yet so different, kicking up the bubbling pot of fury in her stomach. Ruby swiped at her right eye, trying to drive away the phantom pain itching at the socket.

"That's my fighting style, you know that," Ruby spit out, "Just look for the signals!"

Weiss scoffed, her fists clenching. "Signals? How am I supposed to recognize them? We've literally never fought together before!"

"That's complete..." Ruby trailed off, her frustration and anger quickly morphing into something closer to shame. Weiss was right. As far as the Heiress knew, they'd only even met less than twenty-four hours ago. All the memories Ruby had in her head were just that, in her head.

The burning in her heart faded away again. She looked away from those angry blue eyes, admitting quietly, "I… That's completely fair. You don't… You don't really know me."

This wasn't her Weiss. This wasn't her Jaune, not even her Pyrrha. These weren't her friends, and they'd never get the chance to be her friends when she was about to get them all killed because of whatever changed _she'd_ caused in the timestream. There was no other possible reason for an ancient Grimm to appear during Initiation.

Her mistakes were the cause of all this. Ruby wasn't going to let them die again, no matter what it took.

A pained cry caused both of the girls to turn towards Pyrrha. A single swipe caught the redhead along the torso, sending the Mistrali sailing through the air. She smashed through the boulder she'd stashed Jaune behind earlier, her armor scratched and dented on one side.

Ruby noticed a flash of red energy discharge across Pyrrha's entire body, the sign of a human's aura shattering. A single blow from an Elder Grimm that size was all it took to drain most people. And for Pyrrha, another blow would definitely be fatal.

They weren't going to win this. Well, they could still win, but not without casualties Ruby wasn't going to accept. At this rate, at least one of them would die before she could bring the damn thing down. She needed to change the rules of the game and fast.

The Griffon howled as it lowered itself on its haunches, muscles flexing. It regarded its prey with cruel, intelligent eyes as it made to pounce. And there was no way Ruby could reach them in time. Hollow horror filled her as she realized she was about to watch Pyrrha die again.

Jaune struggled to cover the red headed warrior, crouching between her and the Grimm with a trembling shield. His meager reserve of aura sputtered around his body as he drew on anything he might have left. It wouldn't be enough, Ruby knew.

The Griffon surged forward, enormous paw slicing towards the red headed warrior. Ruby's vision flashed angry crimson as she stretched out a hand with a desperate scream echoed by her white haired partner.

"No!"

And the Grimm abruptly stopped in the middle of its charge as shining black glyphs wrapped around its legs and torso, chaining the Griffon in place. It thrashed against the bonds wildly, and while some of the glyphs shattered like glass, the ones holding its claw mere feet from their exhausted friends held fast.

"Urgh." Ruby's head snapped back to Weiss. The Heiress stood stiffly, arms outstretched with one hand still grasping her rapier. Beads of sweat streamed down her forehead. "Are you... just going to stand there… you dunce…"

Ruby ejected the spent magazine from Crescent Rose, sliding in a fresh one marked with a tiny flame and working the bolt. "Think you hold that thing for a few more seconds?" She asked Weiss.

"Of course… I can..." Weiss grunted between pants. A few more glyphs shattered as the Griffon continued to struggle, each one sending a flinch through Weiss' body.

"Jaune, get Pyrrha out of there," Ruby ordered, "Weiss and I've got this thing right where we want it."

"Do we… really?" The Heiress wondered.

"Nah, but Jaune doesn't need to know that."

The Griffon roared in frustration, reaching ever closer as Jaune dragged Pyrrha out of the clearing. Then a single red eye glanced over at Ruby, as if it was searching for her reaction. Waiting for her.

Was it trying to bait her in? Ruby hesitated then decided it didn't matter. This fight had already went on for too long. It was a risk she was certainly willing to take, especially since she'd be ready for it. She dashed back at the Griffon, launching herself forward with a bang and a yell, "Leave them alone!"

Pale blue eyes went wide as a backlash of aura suddenly rushed over Weiss' limbs. Ruby ignored the desperate, "Ruby wait!" that spilled from her partner's lips between wheezes.

This thing needed to die now.

As Ruby expected the Griffon spun at the last second, smashing its way through the last few glyphs, and leaping to meet the angry Huntress wrapped in the red cloak. The monster and the Huntress raced at each other at breakneck speeds, and anyone else might have been caught off guard.

But with her Semblance Ruby was ready. She hooked Crescent Rose around the first paw, yanking herself to the side and narrowly dodging the second set of claws racing towards her, each one the size of her arm.

Jumping from the Grimm's massive arm, Ruby descended along the creature's flank. A gunshot echoed through the clearing as Crescent Rose finally bit into the Griffon's flesh in a ball of flame, drawing a long gash down its side as Ruby dropped back to the ground. She ducked at the last second and its tail barely ruffled the top of her hair when it should have taken her head clean off.

A small, satisfied grin broke across Ruby's face at the aggrieved shriek, even as the hair rose at the back of her neck at the unearthly sound. "You don't like pain, do you?"

Furious red eyes turned their baleful glare on the young girl, radiating with the Griffon's desire to consume her very soul. The rumbling growl from its throat shook her very bones. It turned to face her, clicking its beak and completely ignoring Weiss, Jaune, and Pyrrha.

"That's it," Ruby muttered as she slowly backed away, "Focus on me, not them. Come on, come to Ruby."

The Griffon mimicked her, taking a step forward. Then another as Ruby kept her methodic pace away from the clearing. At least until a loud shout cut through the relative silence.

"What are you doing, Ruby? Get away from that thing!"

The beak shifted back towards the youngest Schnee Heiress, only to have its attention grabbed by a Dust round from Crescent Rose exploding in its face. It snarled at the crimson clad Huntress.

"I'm making a plan B," Ruby shouted back across the clearing, firing around round, igniting a ball of fire beneath the Griffon's chin, scorching the armor at its face. "This thing is way more interested in me then you guys. So I'm going to have it chase me."

"You're just going to leave us?" Weiss screeched, her voice cracking. "Are you insane?"

"Probably," Ruby muttered, before answering her partner, "All three of you are out of aura. You can barely stand, Weiss. And Jaune and Pyrrha are in worse shape. This is our only chance to get it away from you guys."

Ruby fired off a third shot, wincing as it detonated in the creature's eye with a splash of black ichor. Fire Dust to the eye was not a pleasant feeling She knew that kind of pain quite personally.

"I'll draw it off. You get the to safety. And don't argue with me," Ruby explained quickly, cutting her partner off as the Heiress started to open her mouth. "There's no time."

The Griffon whipped its head around in agony, howling its fury down at her. Then it rushed her, its gigantic wings flapping to drive itself forward even faster. The mere pressure waves shook the trees and even ripped several from the ground.

"Uh oh." She succeeded in pissing off the ancient, gigantic Grimm. Maybe not her best choice.

"Ruby Rose, don't you dare-"

"Sorry Weiss," Ruby shot her partner a strained smile. "Gotta' run."

Her Semblance catapulted her off into the Emerald Forest, the Griffon mere seconds behind her. The creature blasted through the edge of the clearing at full speed, plowing through the trees effortlessly.

"Oh, you insufferable, little red IMBECILE!" Weiss' shrill scream just barely echoed through the tree trunks as Ruby sprinted away, pulling a tiny chuckle from the time traveler. Then with a surge of her aura, she shot off through the forest at top speed, the Griffon nipping at her heels.

The Emerald Forest blurred past her as Ruby desperately searched for a new plan now that she had the Grimm's attention. A worrying glance back over her shoulder sent a tiny sliver of fear down her spine as the Griffon surged after her, growing closer by the second.

She winced as it crashed through the foliage, sending a full tree trunk spinning end over end passed her and burying itself in the ground ahead. A very angry Grimm's attention. She used its new landing spot as a bounce board, leaping off the destroyed tree into a hard right turn before putting the afterburners on again. Rose petals swirled in her wake.

Suddenly the tree cover vanished, bright sunlight streaming into Ruby's face. She squinted as she dashed across the clearing, before her eyes went wide. The ground directly ahead of her only continued on so far before abruptly dropping off into a steep cliff.

Ruby slammed Crescent Rose into dirt, letting it drag her to a stop just feet from the cliff's edge. Out beneath her stood a very familiar stone temple. One she had rather vivid memories of fighting a Nevermore on.

The cliff, on the other hand, she didn't remember being quite this high up. The stone tower lay a good couple hundred feet below the cliff's edge. And somewhere beneath that hidden in the mist and fog Ruby could barely hear the babbling of the river that snaked its way through the Emerald Forest. Even though she was a battle tested Huntress with years of combat, she suddenly she felt the slightest bit dizzy.

It was seriously a long way down. Maybe it was because this time she didn't have a handy Weiss-express line of glyphs to run up.

The Griffon careened into the clearing, screaming for her blood. Ruby spun towards it, emptying the remains of Crescent Rose's fire Dust magazine towards the creature. The dozen fireballs exploding around the Grimm didn't even cause it to hesitate. It's one good eye locked on the tiny girl as it continued its rampaging charge.

Time for a plan C. Too bad she didn't have a plan C yet. Oh well, there was always her tried and true method. The Ruby Rose copyrighted ultimate plan for success. Just hit whatever was in her way until it dies.

Ruby loaded another magazine, full of High Gravity Dust rounds to help her dodge or, if she timed it right, to penetrate the Grimm's thick hide. It was also her last reload. She needed to ration this one carefully or she'd find sweetheart only half as useful. And she absolutely had to be in top form to win this fight.

An idea sparked to life in her mind. The cliff may have bracketed her in, but it also gave her an advantage if she could just send the Grimm tumbling over the edge. It was crazy, but that was kind of her speciality.

The Griffon screeched as it closed the distance, and Ruby snarled right back. She sprinted at the Grimm, rolling to the side at the last second and slicing Crescent Rose through one of the monster's hamstrings with judicious use of a single round.

With the extra kinetic force, the scythe ripped through the Elder Grimm flesh effortlessly. Gore splattered over the ground as the Griffon howled in pain. It stumbled and collapsed, its massive bulk sliding across the ground as its momentum carried it forward-

-and right over the edge of the cliff. It vanished with a howl.

Ruby stood, sticking Crescent Rose's hilt into the ground and resting against the haft of the scythe. Her body hurt all over and even without checking her Scroll she could feel that her aura had to be at least half depleted from all those blows she'd taken.

She rolled her shoulders, wincing as the bruised muscles protested. Maybe even more than half. The Griffon got quite a few solid hits in on her. She counted herself lucky. While clearly lacking the physical body of her twenty-seven year old self, Ruby clearly still possessed some of same raw levels of aura. Otherwise the Griffon would've turned her into paste after the first hit, like it tried to do to Pyrrha.

A tiny grin quirked her lips. Still, she'd gotten the job done. "That was easier than I thought."

She'd definitely overestimated the Griffons she fought during the Battle of Beacon when she was _actually_ fifteen.

The smile faded as a pressure wave shook the cliffside. Her ears popped. Another wave swept over the her, shaking the bones in her chest. A multitude of pebbles crackled as they bounced off each other and fell down the into the gaping chasm.

The Griffon rose up over the edge, its massive wings beating the air. Each flap displacing so much air that the mist covering the river kicked up beneath the Grimm, giving it an eerie, otherworldly mystique.

Right. Griffon. Winged Grimm. Ruby fought the urge to slam her head repeatedly against Crescent Rose. She was an idiot. How could she forget something so obvious?

"Uh, so if I just say I'm really, _really_ sorry, can we pretend this didn't happen?" Ruby asked rhetorically, readying her weapon. The Grimm roared down at her, beating its wings angrily. "Yeah, didn't think so."

Another ear-piercing shriek ripped through the air and the Grimm plunged into a dive towards her. If conventional weaponry wasn't going to do that trick, then it was time to pull out her ace.

Ruby braced herself, legs wide and fists clenched around Crescent Rose. And then she went searching for the cold, dark place deep in her heart.

She didn't need all the power of the Winter Maiden. That would draw the wrong kind of attention from Ozpin, because if nothing else frozen Elder Griffon's weren't a dime a dozen in the Emerald Forest. Ruby just needed enough to give her an edge. All she had to do was crack the door open a tiny bit.

Only this time, she couldn't find the door at all. She could feel the icy weight of Winter sitting in her chest but every time she tried to draw from the frozen well of power, it slipped away from her. Panic bubbled in her blood as her eyes snapped open.

She was in trouble.

The monster soared at her, wings tucked in close to its body turning the Grimm into a deadly black missile. If Ruby didn't know any better, she'd have guessed it was just going to crush her beneath its massive body.

A loud boom broke her train of thought as a gout of fire Dust engulfed the Griffon's right side. Crackling fingers of lightning and a wave of frost encrusting its black feathers followed shortly after, all focused at the joint of one wing where it met the creature's back.

The sound of bone snapping filled the air and the Grimm veered sharply, landing hard on its torso as one of its wings bent under the elemental barrage. White bone and black flesh dug a gouge in the earth. The abomination moaned, rolling to a stop and struggling to its feet.

Silver eyes narrowed. This Grimm was tenacious way beyond what anything she'd seen in her past life. Then Ruby noticed the shattered wing bones began to shift back into position with a series of sickening pops and cracks. Even the gash along its leg had mostly knit itself back together. The Griffon would be back in top shape within moments.

"Healing, huh?" she muttered, "That's a new one for you monsters."

It glared at Ruby, snapping its beak at her, before its murderous gaze shifted to something standing behind the cloaked Huntress. Or someone, Ruby realized in utter surprise as she glanced back towards the treeline.

"Weiss?! What're you doing here?"

The white girl stood surrounded by a multitude of glyphs, several fading away rapidly now that she'd finished her Dust spell. The arm holding Myrtenaster pointed towards the Grimm shook and dropped to Weiss' side, ejecting spent Dust vials.

"You… useless idiot," the Heiress forced out, breathing hard. Between the Beowolves, the first fight in the clearing, running after Ruby, and finally channeling the rest of her aura into one last ditch strike, Weiss' was on her last legs.

Ruby rushed to her side, unsure if she wanted to hug the girl or scream at her. "Why are you here? I told you to keep Jaune and Pyrrha safe."

"I did. I gave both of them aura transfusions before I came after you," Weiss said. All in all, expending even a tiny portion of her energy to help jumpstart the pair hadn't helped her exhaustion. She stumbled. A regrettable choice in hindsight.

Ruby's mouth dropped open and heat seeped into her mind and voice. "Don't you know how stupidly dangerous that is?"

Weiss glared coldly back at her, her tone clipped. "I'll have you know I studied with the top medical combat experts in Atlas. Pyrrha and Jaune were never at risk."

"Not them," Ruby shot back. Angry silver eyes flecked with red bore into the Heiress, "You! You're like a walking zombie with practically no aura left. If you gave either of them too much, you'd drain out your own soul! You could've gotten yourself killed or worse!"

A nerve unraveled in Weiss' head. She rose to her full height, despite the aches running down her body. "And you could've gotten gotten yourself killed, Rose! You left me, your partner, and ran off with an Ancient Grimm. They put together war parties of veteran Hunters to kill them. What do you honestly think a fifteen year old child could do against one?"

"I was fine. I know what I'm doing," Ruby growled out, her face mere inches from Weiss' unblinking frown. Dull throbbing radiated from the time traveler's right temple, pounding harder and harder. Bile stung at her throat.

This wasn't her Weiss. When it came to both love and hate. She had to keep telling herself that. She exhaled harshly, fingernails digging into her palm.

"Clearly, you are the most capable Huntress I've seen by far. Oh wait, that's a lie because you were just standing there like an idiot," Weiss spit out, "What would've happened to you if I'd stayed with Pyrrha and Jaune?"

"I. Was. Fine," Ruby repeated, forcing those three words through grinding teeth. The Griffon's roar drew their attention. The Grimm stood tall, its wounds now completely healed. It pawed the ground and crouched, muscles rippling.

"Weiss, you need to leave," Ruby ordered. She brought Crescent Rose up, ready for battle again.

"Unlike you, I'm not incompetent, Rose. I can help," Weiss scowled.

"You'll just slow me down," Ruby said. The blunt statement struck Weiss like a physical blow. So matter-of-fact that she herself almost believed for a moment that the younger girl would be fine on her own. Then indignant anger boiled over.

"You ungrateful- Partnering with you was a clearly a mistake," Weiss said, pride and fury spicing her voice.

The words echoed in Ruby's head, reverberating painfully over and over and over. Each repetition brought older memories back to the surface. Blood in her mouth. The cacophony of warfare. The cool steel of Myrtenaster. Everything twisted and warped until only one phrase roared in her ears.

" _I am not your partner, Ruby Rose."_

Ruby couldn't breathe.

"You would've died without me and you know it," Weiss finished with a growl.

Ruby snapped.

Lack of sleep, rage and sorrow all mixed together into one gut churning cocktail of emotion that spewed forth in the form of caustic, shouted words. "THEN I WOULD'VE DIED KNOWING MY PARTNER WAS SAFE!"

Ruby whipped around and the air in Weiss' lungs froze. Twin dots of bloody crimson pierced her heart, the girl's normal warm silver gaze nowhere to be seen. Wisps of raw silver energy bled from the Huntress' eyes, otherworldly and frightening. Cold spread over the Heiress' skin, unnatural for such a warm, sunny day in the middle of the summer months.

"BECAUSE I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE YOUR LIFE OVER MINE!"

Even if the younger girl was an inch shorter than her, in that moment Ruby towered over Weiss. Her jaw worked soundlessly as she tried not to shiver. Ever more difficult as frost crept over her shoes, spreading from the ground beneath Ruby's feet.

The Last Huntress snarled at Weiss' wide eyed look of shock, painfully reminded of how easily the life could drain from those pretty blue orbs. Ice poured into Ruby's chest and she could feel the wind start to spiral around her, whipping her cloak about wildly.

The tide of memories started to overwhelm her, crashing down over the crimson haired warrior. Pyrrha, gasping for breath with a red hot arrow impaled in her chest. Blake's peaceful face juxtaposed with her mangled body covered in broken glass. Yang's bloody gashes and wheezing coughs, sticky red staining her golden mane. Weiss' surprised eyes and soft apology.

A demonic howl. Not a memory. Danger.

Ruby spun towards the Griffon, hatred blazing to life in her heart and insulating it against the overflowing cold. The creature's only intact eye locked on her glowing ones and for a moment, Ruby sensed hesitation. Fear.

"Weiss," The Heiress jumped, startled. Ruby's voice was so cold, it sent goosebumps climbing up her arms. "I wanna' cut that thing apart, but it's too far away. Help."

Weiss still couldn't control her thick tongue and only nodded in agreement, unsure of how her new partner even knew her Semblance possessed that ability. Drawing up the last of her aura, she summoned a glyph beneath her partner's feet. A faint white glow cover the cloak-clad Huntress from head to toe.

Winter's angry wrath surged freely from Ruby now, silver and white radiating from her eyes and hands. Shards of ice sprouted from the dirt, spreading a thin layer of rime around the pair. Weiss trembled uncontrollably, whether from the cold or from the oppressive sense of _power_ Ruby embodied, she didn't know.

Tired of waiting the ancient Grimm leapt forward, closing the distance in fractions of a second, far faster than even an expert Hunter could react.

But at the moment, Ruby was far above and beyond even the best Huntsman and Huntresses. Her body supercharged by the raw aura flooding her veins both from her own power and from Weiss' glyph, Ruby struck first.

Dazzling white energy covered the length of Crescent Rose's blade, bits of ice and snow trailing in its wake as Ruby slashed across her body from shoulder to hip. A curved blade of aura sailed out from the strike, tearing a frost curved groove in the ground as it traveled forward.

The blade hurtled through the air and sliced through the Griffon's steely hide effortlessly, bisecting the creature. Its left leg, arm, and tail along with a good chunk of its torso went tumbling to one side. Ice engulfed the detached limbs moments later and they shattered as they hit the ground.

A brief burst of satisfaction filled Ruby's stomach as the glowing red eye went wide with pain before closing.

"Heal from that," Ruby spat out.

The maelstrom of power engulfing her suddenly sputtered and died, leaving her empty and drained. Both physically and emotionally, if she was honest with herself. Her legs felt like jello and she felt them start to give way beneath her. Ruby stumbled, bracing herself against Crescent Rose as the other half of the Griffon fell.

...And its momentum carried it tumbling end over end towards the girls. Ruby swore under her breath as her muscles gave out completely. She flopped to her knees, head slowly turning to Weiss who had already sank to the ground. The Heiress looked just as exhausted as Ruby felt and Ruby saw the telltale burst of soul charged static of a recently broken aura.

Oncoming Grimm corpse in front of them. Cliff edge beyond them. And not enough aura between them to fill a coffee cup, much less come up with a landing strategy. This was just not Ruby's day, she thought as the body came sliding closer. Not at all.

Ruby braced herself, hoping beyond hope that they didn't end up crushed against the temple. Moments before the dead Griffon swept them out into the chasm beyond them, she heard a soft mutter from Weiss.

"Crapbaskets."

"Oh, you say that too?" Ruby asked in surprise.

And then the Grimm slammed into them, dragging them along with it over the edge.

An electric shock rocked through Ruby's bones as her aura failed to hold against the impact of several dozen tons of flesh. She tightened her grip around Crescent Rose lest the wind or the corpse rip it from her fingers. Without her aura or Semblance, her scythe was their only lifeline.

Screaming filled her ears. Weiss.

Ruby kicked off the Grimm, throwing herself out into complete freefall. She spread her arms and legs to stabilize herself.

They'd already dropped more than half the distance to the temple, and were dead on course to smash into the stone tower at the center of the aqueducts. Weiss screamed again off to her side, trapped between two of the Griffon's claws. Ruby had maybe a handful of seconds to get to her before the corpse crushed her against the ruins.

A single shot from Crescent Rose sent the time traveler flying towards her partner thanks in part to the Gravity rounds she'd loaded.

"Weiss, don't move!" she shouted over the rushing air as she cocked back with her scythe.

Weiss' eyes widened, "What are you doing?"

"Uh, nothing?"

Weiss noticed her silver eyes, and thank god they were silver again, focusing on the joint of the top-most claw holding her not a foot from her head. She started frantically shaking her head. "No, wait Ruby, don't-"

The slash neatly removed the claw pinning Weiss as Ruby sailed past, clipping only a few white hairs from her ponytail. Another round from Crescent Rose sent Ruby flying back to the Heiress who she promptly scooped into her arms.

"You almost decapitated me!" Weiss shrieked, smacking Myrtenaster's hilt guard against Ruby's head.

"But I didn't."

"I- But- You-" Ruby loved reducing Weiss' massive vocabulary down to slurries of incomplete fragments. But she had other things to deal with at the moment.

"Hold on, Weiss. This is gonna' be a bumpy ride," Ruby said as she pulled Weiss flush against her chest.

Beneath her, the temple grew larger and larger by the second. Ruby kept a keen eye on her target, a small decorative section of the main tower designed with only support columns. It also was pretty much the only section of the tower they could pass through that didn't involve them going 'splat' rather violently against a hard granite wall.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Weiss muttered.

"You don't like anything, Weiss," Ruby shot back idly as she waited.

"Hey, that's not-"

"Now!"

Ruby pulled Crescent Rose's trigger, and the kinetic blowback launched them forward. With Weiss clutched tightly in her arms, she slipped between the pillars perfectly. Cracked stone flashed by, her cloak ripped a touch as it caught on a small outcropping, and they were past the tower.

Behind them, the roar of crashing, crumbling rock echoed through the chasm as the Griffon's body tore through the temple, weakened as it was by age. Stone debris of varying sizes, ranging from tiny splintered up to enormous broken chunks, rained down around them. The tower, with its centuries of history, collapsed into an explosion of dust.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose repeatedly, throwing the partners back and forth to avoid the bigger pieces. Even still, smaller fragments sliced through her clothes or left aching bruises on Ruby's back. She couldn't dodge them all.

Then Crescent Rose's bolt clicked shut on an empty chamber.

"Uh, Weiss?" Ruby started sheepishly, "Remember when you said you weren't going to like this?"

"Yes…?" Weiss said hesitantly.

"Well, uh, so you're going to like what's about to happen even less."

Weiss didn't bother answering. The way her face paled, an impressive feat considering her already light complexion, said everything for Ruby.

The pair hurtled down into the mist that rose from the river, shattered pieces of a destroyed temple all around them and the roaring of the river growing steadily louder. Dark water rushing downstream topped by white capped rapids materialized below them through the mist. Ruby tensed her legs and closed her eyes.

With a splash, the river swallowed them. The last thing Ruby remembered before unconsciousness engulfed her was icy cold water rushing into her lungs and Weiss' fingernails digging into her skin.

* * *

 **More writing yay. Seriously though. I planned to do Initiation in one chapter in my first outline. How we're at 2 chapters and over +13,000 words and there's still one more to go. Well, I'm done. By hook or crook, I swear the next chapter will be the last of Initiation. I hope...**

 **I mean, it took half of Vol 1 for the actual show to get through it even so clearly there's a precedent right? Right?**

 **Slight homage to TeamFourStar and DBZ Abridged here. Yes, I'm a fan and I totally think Ruby would use that phrase.**

 **I'm also apologizing massively for the delay on this one, even if it was only a few days. TL;DR version, after being here in LA for a few weeks, my car overheated not once, but twice before they finally diagnosed it as having internal coolant leakage due to gaskets leaking. Which, as any car junkie knows costs more than the car is worth to fix. Of course, because Murphy's Law, this happened right as I was trying to move into my permanent apartment. So that set this chapter behind much more than I wanted.**

 **Hopefully the wait wasn't too terrible. I think things are settling down, finally, so I'm going to try to get back to my 2 week post schedule with any semblance (heh, I'm punny) of luck.**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	6. Broken Pieces United

**I swore I'd never be the type of author that apologized for late uploads. So here's 16,600 words of penance. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Broken Pieces United**

* * *

Everything hurt.

She drifted in and out of consciousness, her body pummeled by the swirling waters of the river and the unforgiving rocks lining the steep banks. Each hammering blow rattled her bones, tipping her back over the edge of blissful oblivion just long enough for her lungs to scream at her. The brief moments she regained enough awareness to take a breath, liquid rushed down her throat. The bursts of awareness came fewer and further apart.

Even so, she clung to her partner's arm, unwilling to lose her one last lifeline. No matter what.

Suddenly, a sharp knife of pain drove into her wrist. A ribbon of warmth spiraled away from her, her own lifeblood leaking into the water. Her grip slackened.

The tiny part of her brain that was fighting desperately for oxygen recoiled in horror as the warm limb slipped from her limp fingers, leaving her alone and adrift. And completely at the mercy of the raging river.

The cold seeped through her clothes, even her skin, and started to penetrate deep into her bones. Even if, miraculously, she escaped drowning, the cold water had already dropped her body temperature. Hypothermia set in within seconds. The heart slowed, the poor muscle straining with every beat to keep her alive.

Her head smashed against unyielding stone, smearing a trail of sticky red in her wake, before the current dragged her to the riverbed and held her down. A few bubbles passed her lips before she started to reflexively gasp, sucking in nothing but water.

Her vision dimmed down to a tiny pinprick, faint and colorless. She felt like she was floating, rising upwards faster and faster. Warmth wrapped around her, blocking out the cold. She relished it, even as pain stabbed repeatedly at her chest. If this is what drowning was like, she could imagine worse ways to die.

The pain grew sharper and sharper, though, instead of fading away. It felt like hands squeezing her chest. The pleasant heat faded, replaced by cold wind blowing across her skin.

Wind?

Weiss' eyes snapped open. One final press on her chest and a mix of bile and water rose up her throat. The Heiress twisted her head, vomiting the disgusting mixture to the side.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

And right onto her rescuer's lap. The girl kneeling beside Weiss jumped back, desperately wiping the sickening liquid off her shorts and jacket.

"Seriously? First my boots, now this? Beacon has some kinda' vomit fetish, geeze," the girl said, shaking her blond mane and nervously running her hands through her golden locks. "I swear, if you got anything in my hair I'm chucking you right back into the river, Princess."

Weiss ignored her threat for the moment. She was a little preoccupied taking in deep, _amazing_ breaths of fresh air between coughs. This had to be the best time she'd ever had in her life just breathing. Even if she couldn't stop her body's unending shaking.

"Hey, so this is gonna' feel weird," her rescuer explained cheerily as she felt two warm hands rest lightly on Weiss' sternum, "But you kinda' have hypothermia. Which is bad. Also aura exhaustion. Which is worse. So, just don't freak out."

Heat surged through Weiss' body, spreading from her chest down to the tips of her fingers and toes as the blonde girl pumped aura that warmed her like the sun and crackled like a campfire. The Heiress basked in that comforting warmth, letting the donated aura help sooth the aches covering her body. Finally, her shivers stilled.

All too soon, the hands with their delicious warmth left, and Weiss bit back a groan as the heavy feeling of her wet clothes plastered to her body weighed down on her. She could already feel her own aura start to sluggishly recharge and take over healing her wounds.

Weiss never realized it before, but her aura felt much harder and more unyielding than her savior's aura, a cool metal compared with the warm flame.

Still it was nothing to the freezing, wild storm that had raged up on the cliff mere moments ago.

Glancing down at her wrist, she saw a ragged gash along the tendon. Clearly from some needlessly sharp rock somewhere along the river bed. Even as she examined the cut, it started to shrink in size as the power of her soul accelerated her healing. She put her head back down with a sigh, not even sparing a glance for the blonde.

"No need to thank me. All in a day's work for Yang Xiao-Long, professional badass. That's me by the way," the girl, Yang, introduced herself. Weiss vaguely recognized her from the night before. This was Ruby's sister.

Realization set in, horrifying in its simplicity. Ruby Rose, her partner, was gone.

As soon as her head stopped spinning, Weiss struggled to sit up. She needed to find her partner. Her body disagreed with her decision, clogging her throat with a hacking cough.

"Hey, take it easy." A hand rested on her back, gently supporting her. "You just had a really bad morning. You earned a bit of a break."

"No," Weiss protested weakly, thinking of Ruby, "I have to find her."

Because as much as Weiss despised the thought of being paired with such a _child_ , at the end of the day Ruby Rose was her partner. They would succeed and fail together. And she wasn't about to allow them to fail before they could truly even start.

She was going to find her partner, get her safely out of this Grimm infested forest, and then kill the little redheaded idiot herself for that stupid stunt that sent them over the cliff.m in the first place.

She also had quite a few questions for the redhead concerning her apparent control over that strange icy aura. No normal Huntress in training should be able to slice a monstrous Griffon in half with a single aura empowered blow. That was just unnatural.

"Pronoun game, huh? I'm guessing _she_ is your partner?" Yang asked. Weiss nodded jerkily.

Yang sighed in relief. "Oh thank Dust. I really had to think about saving you, snowflake. Wasn't too interested in ending up with you as a partner for four years. You'd probably make me… _study_."

The last word came out tinged with disgust.

Frustration loosened her tongue, and an angry response slipped out before Weiss could rethink it. "Don't you ever stop talking?"

"Not while I'm awake," Yang responded with a smirk. Weiss continued on.

"My partner, your sister, could be in grave danger and you just want to sit here and let me rest? Because I've _earned_ it merely by surviving?"

"Sister…?" Yang's lavender eyes widened. "Wait, Ruby actually got partnered with you of all people?"

"Yes, but-"

"Wow, way to go Rubes," Yang said, glancing up and down Weiss appraisingly. "I'll be real. Didn't think the squirt was being serious when she said she knew was going to be your friend."

" _Partner_ , not friend, and that's besides-" Weiss tried to say, only to be cut off again.

"Just know that I'm keeping my eyes on you, Schnee. It wouldn't be _Weiss_ to mess with my little sis," Yang smiled maliciously, crossing her arms and flexing her muscles.

"Are you going to help me find your sister or not?!" Weiss shouted over the other girl. Yang stepped back and the hand left the Heiress' back, the blonde's eyebrows raised in slightly surprised.

"Well, of course I am. But you need to chill out, Weissicle. Ruby's a tough girl. She's been killing Grimm on her own for years. Little ride down a river's no problem for her. She'll be fine." Yang stood and extended a hand to Weiss.

Weiss regarded the offer for a moment before taking Yang's hand. The blonde pulled her to her feet and brushed off the back of her damp bolero. "Also, unlike you, Ruby knows how to swim."

"Hey!" Weiss sputtered in protest, "I learned how to swim when I was four! I am a master at all strokes!"

Yang snorted. "Could've fooled me, Weiss-cream. All that flailing and gurgling and drowning. Good form, _madame_."

"I was unconscious! And if you make another pun about my name, I'm going to stab you," Weiss swore, her hand twitching for Myrtenaster's hilt at her waist.

"Promises, promises, Ms. Schnee," Yang cooed at her before chuckling and turning away. She started walking into the Emerald Forest. "C'mon, let's move."

"Ugh, fine. Where are we going anyway?" Weiss asked, jogging to catch up with Yang's longer strides. The blonde's path took them slowly up river, back towards the ruined temple.

"This river splits into a buncha' different legs about half a mile upstream," Yang explained. "Now since Ruby wasn't with you, that means she probably got knocked down one of the other legs. No way are we gonna' find her if we try looking for her."

"If this is supposed to reassure me, let me be very clear. It's not," Weiss grumbled, shaking her boots with each step. Water sloshed around inside, and the slimy feeling of scum between her toes made her shudder.

"Ah, ah, don't get your stockings in a snitch, I'm not done yet," Yang said, holding up a patronizing finger, "You seem like the annoying, straight A student type. What's the first Hunter rule of scouting?"

"If separated, all Huntsmen and Huntress should return and reunite at the current rendezvous point after completing their objectives or when further progress is prevented," Weiss quoted from memory.

"Yeah, you're even worse than a straight A," Yang accused with a mocking glare, "You're an A plus perfectionist."

"How is that supposed to help us?" Weiss said, ignoring Yang's jokes as they worked their way through the underbrush. "We don't have any defined rendezvous. We don't even have a team leader to assign a rendezvous, for Dust's sake."

"Wrong and wrong," Yang singsonged. She stopped and turned to Weiss, holding up a single finger. "We have one very big rendezvous given to us by the Headmaster of Beacon."

Yang continued walking, shoving aside bushes as comprehension hit Weiss. "You mean the temple and the relics."

"Bingo."

"But how do you expect that crimson dunce to even know the rule? Huntresses aren't taught the Rules of Scouting until our first year at a Hunter Academy, before going on actual missions with a team." Weiss scoffed, sidestepping a nasty looking tangle of thorns.

"Ruby knows them all by heart. Our uncle drilled them into us when she was six after I…" Yang trailed off. Weiss glanced over, shocked to see those purple eyes flash a hauntingly familiar, angry red. "Well, let's just say after I messed up. Trust me, Ruby knows where to go. She'll find us."

The lavender returned a moment later, and Weiss wondered if she had imagined it as Yang pointed forward with a laugh. "Now let's go find my sister and your girlfriend!"

" _Partner_! Not girlfriend!"

* * *

Ruby groaned as awareness slowly returned to her. Aches and pains pulsed across her body, growing more painful by the second. Her chest felt like someone had split it open, used her rib cage as a xylophone, and then shoved it back in upside down.

Good. Pain meant she was still alive.

She focused on it, letting it sharpen her mind and draw her out of the inky blackness of unconsciousness. Something soft lay beneath her head and blades of grass tickled her exposed skin. A warm breeze caressed her feet gently, making her shiver. She wriggled her toes experimentally to find that someone had removed her boots.

Probably the same someone who had pulled her from the river. Hopefully Weiss.

Her arms and legs were sore, but held none of the sharp pain she'd come to associate with broken limbs. Her chest was another matter completely. Ruby took a slow, deep breath that cut off abruptly as a lance of agony shot across her side.

Cracked rib, at least if her personal experience was anything to go by. And while this might be her first major broken bone this time around, Ruby had plenty of practice self diagnosing injuries when she traveled on her own during the final years of the Grimm Wars.

In the grand scheme of things, broken bones were minor annoyances really. Once her aura regenerated, it would mend the broken bone within a few hours tops. But as drained as Ruby was, the fracture severely limited her mobility. If she was lucky, her aura would start refilling within the hour, but even then she wouldn't be useful with a cracked rib.

Once again, Ruby cursed her own foolishness. In the last half hour that she remembered, she'd made mistake after mistake.

She could blame the shock, the rage, she could honestly blame whatever she wanted. At the end of the day however, she was acting more like her rambunctious fifteen year old self and less like the quintessential Huntress she'd forged herself into through the fires of conflict. And she had absolutely no clue why.

That realization scared her more than anything. She hated feeling helpless.

Unfortunately, she had to shelf that concern for the time being. The mission, Initiation, came first. Ruby took a smaller breath carefully to avoid unsettling her rib and opened her eyes.

A pair of curious amber eyes stared down at her, mere inches away, framed by black hair and topped with a familiar black bow.

"Gah!" Ruby screamed. She scuttled backwards until she slammed into the trunk of a tree. Her side exploded in pain and stars danced in her vision as she tettered towards blissful oblivion. "Owie. Bad idea…"

"You probably don't want to move," Blake advised as she crouched next to Ruby, probing at her side. The crimson clad Huntress hissed as the the Faunus put pressure right on her fracture. "Looks like you have a broken rib. As well as a case of aura exhaustion."

"Yeah, I figured that part out," Ruby muttered sullenly through gritted teeth. "Were you just watching me sleep? Because that's kinda' sorta' really super weird, Blake."

One black eyebrow raised in response. "Hardly. I was keeping watch from the trees. I came down when you started waking up."

"Wait, you jumped from a tree branch," Ruby pointed above her head, then the dirt in quick succession, "To the ground. And I didn't even notice?"

While Blake stayed silently, her expression clearly screamed the word, ' _Obviously_ '. Dust, Ruby thought, she really was getting incredibly sloppy.

First thing after Initiation, she was restarting her old Spec Ops training program and whipping herself back in shape. Along with the rest of her team and the hopefully still to be formed team JNPR. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Granted, when it came to stealth and infiltration, Blake always held the top spot even in the later years of their lives. But Ruby had worked so hard to reach a similar level of mastery, simply because after Blake vanished on her final mission, they'd needed an infiltration and assassination expert.

Getting outclassed by a seventeen year old Blake was frankly just insulting.

"Of course you did. Dust forbid you move around like a normal person," Ruby grumbled as she tried to stand. "Stupid ninja cat bull crap…"

A harsh grinding echoed through the forest. Cold, sharp steel pressed against her throat, drawing a tiny line of blood. A rough hand shoved her back into the tree, clamping down on her shoulder like a vise. Ruby bit down a grimace as agony flared up in her torso.

Instead she looked up with a pout only to meet a pair of furious yellow eyes. "Ow. That's not nice…"

"How did you know?" Blake hissed, her pupils mere slits as she glared at the younger girl. "How did you figure it out? Who told you?"

Told her what? The thought bounced around Ruby's head for a moment. The sharp edge of Gambol Shroud pressing harder against her skin chased it away. "I won't ask again. Who told you I'm a Faunus?"

Oh. _Oh_.

Ruby chuckled awkwardly, fighting the urge to groan. Blake's Faunus heritage was such a basic part of her identity to everyone that Ruby had outright forgotten. And so she'd gone and stumbled her way into another change in the timeline. Perfect.

A shiver ran up Ruby's spine when she realized she couldn't remember exactly when or how the entire team had found out about Blake's little secret in the original timeline. She clearly remembered Blake and Weiss yelling at each other followed by hours searching for the elusive cat Faunus, but Ruby drew a utter blank on the circumstances that led up to that shouting match.

Great.

"Well?." Blake growled, irritated by the cloaked girl's sheepish laugh.

"Uh, so you're going to find this funny," Ruby started, "At least I hope you do, 'cause that'll make the whole 'holding a sword to my throat' thing a little less freaky and ya' know maybe we can start over and actually be friends and-"

Blake's fingertips bit harder into her shoulder. "I'm not hearing an explanation."

"Uh, well," Ruby racked her brain for the most believable reason. It was a little tougher than she expected with Blake's angry stare pinning her to the tree. A flick of movement caught her eye, Blake's ears shifting beneath the ribbon. "Your bow twitches."

That answer threw Blake for a loop. Her furious expression melted into one of confusion as she lowered her blade. "My… bow twitches?"

"Yeah. And the way you tie the ribbon totally looks like kitty ears," Ruby said as she committed to her lie. "Plus they were moving and you have those cool eyes, so you looked just like a cat!"

"You just thought I looked like a cat?" Blake pressed, her eyes growing fierce again. "You didn't know I was a Faunus?

"No…?" Ruby hated the questioning air to her answer and let her mouth start running. "I mean, not until you told me. Like just now. So now I know. But I didn't know before, at all. Promise."

Blake stood and stepped back, covering her face with a hand while the other held Gambol Shroud loosely by her side. "I can't believe this."

"In a good way or a bad way?" Ruby questioned, rubbing her neck gingerly as she clambered to her feet. Blake kept that katana razor sharp. "Don't get me wrong, Faunus are super cool. Some of the best fighters I've seen were Faunus."

Granted the Faunus in question were usually on the opposite side of the battles during the Faunus Uprising and Ruby usually ended up killing them, but Blake didn't need to know those specific details.

"At this point that's up for debate," Blake said, slipping Shroud onto her back and watched Ruby search for her boots, pulling them on and lacing them up. "To be clear; you don't hold any prejudice against Faunus-kind?"

"Nope!" Ruby chirped with a tentative grin as she finished tying her bootlaces. She wiggled her toes inside the hardened leather.

"Okay," Blake sighed before answering with her own tiny smile, "I guess in terms of partners, I could've done much worse."

Ruby froze. "Oh. Uh, yeah. Partners..."

Blake raised a quizzical eyebrow. "There a problem?"

Ruby's smile morphed into a grimace. "So, about that. That being partners. 'Um, I sorta' have my own partner already?"

Blake's brow furrowed, her eyebrows pinching together as the smile vanished in favor of an ever deepening scowl. Ruby muttered absently. "And the frown's back…"

"When were you planning on telling me this?" Blake's words could cut steel. Ruby looked everywhere but the Faunus' amber eyes.

"Uh, sometime? Soon. Eventually. Maybe?" Ruby tried, wincing as thunderstorm Blake grew darker with each word that left her lips. "Which answer will make you not hate me?"

"None of the above."

"Okay, yeah, that's fair," Ruby said, gaze down as she twiddled her fingers together. "What about… we could be temporary partners until we find you one, or we find my real partner, and you're just walking away now."

Upon looking up, Ruby found Blake had spun on her heel and was marching determinedly away from small patch of clear undergrowth. Without looking back, the Faunus pointed off to the side.

"Your weapon's in that tree. I'm leaving. Don't follow me." And with those parting words, Blake stomped deeper into the Emerald Forest, vanishing between the leaves. Ruby groaned loudly, letting her shoulder's slump.

"Good job, Ruby. Just great. Piss off your future teammate," Ruby muttered to herself before shouting after Blake, "Hey, wait up!"

"I said don't follow me!" Blake shouted back, snarling quietly as her yell echoed through the trees. And most likely attracted every nearby Grimm. Just what she needed today. It was cruel of her, but a tiny part of Blake hoped the incoming Grimm caused the little red girl behind her enough trouble that she was pulled from Initiation. It would certainly make the Faunus' life that much easier if the number of people at Beacon who knew about her heritage dropped back to zero.

"So where are we going?" the overly cheerful redhead's voice suddenly asked Blake from directly next to her ear. "The Temple's the other way."

"Ah!" Blake jumped, Gambol Shroud unsheathed and back in her hand. "What? How?"

Ruby smiled at the older girl, plucking a rose petal from the air. "Semblance. Also your eyes are doing that super dilated kitten thing and you look so adorable. Just by the way."

Then the grin faded in favor of a pained grimace as Ruby clutched her side. "Also ow. Running with a broken rib is definitely a bad idea. Ow."

Blake took a few slow, deep breaths to calm her racing heart. "What part of 'don't follow me' wasn't clear?"

"The don't. And the follow," Ruby said, relishing in the familiar weight of Crescent Rose in her hands again even as her side throbbed in pair. "The me part I got though, if it's worth anything."

"Not exactly." Blake's body tensed. For a brief moment she considered dropping a clone with her Semblance and sneaking off. Then she remembered the redhead's Semblance, clearly some type of super speed, would let her follow almost immediately.

Blake sighed. "I'm not going to be able to get rid of you, am I?"

"Not a chance."

Blake turned to the younger girl with a put upon expression. "And if I run, you'll just catch me again, won't you?"

"Probably." The redhead's infuriatingly happy smile clashed rather horribly with her deadpan response.

"Even with a broken rib?"

Ruby shrugged her cloaked shoulders. "No pain, no gain." She winced as the motion unsettled her torso. "Or something like that."

"I'm going to regret this," Blake finally relented with another long suffering sigh, much to Ruby's immediate joy.

"Nah, you'll learn to love me," Ruby explained as she grabbed the Faunus by the wrist and started walking. Slowly. She wasn't going to aggravate that fracture any more than necessary. "Somebody once told me I was like a fungus. I just grow on you until you can't help it."

Unsurprisingly, it was Weiss who said that, about five years after Beacon. They'd been on a day of mandatory rest between missions along with Yang and Blake. Ruby smiled wistfully at the hazy memories of telling stories over bottles of Vacilian wine they'd pulled from a bombed out vineyard along the countryside.

Weiss drove the rest of them to stitches as she put on her most pretentious air, pretending to serve them wine like the snobbish, upper class sophisticate she used to be. They spent the entire night drinking and reminiscing between the four of them. Old childhood tales, recollecting their first meetings, anything and everything that hadn't been torn apart by the war.

Drunk and happy for the first time in years, Team RWBY watched the sunrise over the wartorn landscape with a promise that they'd never forget each other. Tucked against Weiss' side with Blake curled in their laps and Yang's arms holding them all tight, Ruby had allowed herself to hope for a better future. Ruby even thought she felt cool lips on hers as she'd finally drifted off into an inebriated sleep.

That was the last good memory she had of the four of them alive and together before everything collapsed into a seven year nightmare. One by one they'd all died. Until only Ruby was left to remember them.

Blake's voice cut into her train of thought before it traveled to a much darker place. Already Ruby could feel frost forming along the tips of her fingers.

Ruby shook her head, turning to Blake, "Sorry, zoned out for a sec. What did you say?"

"I asked if you know where you're going." Blake repeated, gently but firmly pulling her hand from Ruby's grip.

"Yes!" Ruby immediately answered, before changing her mind, "Well sorta'. See, the temple with the relics Ozpin was talking about is somewhere off this way. So we're headed in the right direction."

Blake was clearly less than pleased with her answer. "Please tell me you have a better answer than 'Somewhere this way?'"

"I was getting to that," Ruby huffed, "I also have this handy dandy Scroll with me that happens to point directly to a tracking beacon on my partner's body."

The Faunus' ears twitched and she stared at Ruby incredulously. "You planted a tracking beacon on your partner?"

"Yes."

Blake waited a moment for Ruby to explain. When it became apparent no further answer was forthcoming, she scowled. "Why?"

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies," Ruby said, wincing as she pulled her rather battered looking Scroll from her pocket. With pursed lips and cross fingers, the crimson Huntress pressed the power button.

A moment passed. Then another. Near half a minute went by before Blake broke in. "Yeah, that doesn't seem like it's working."

"Shh. Give it a second. The Scroll must prepare himself," Ruby said with a silencing gesture. Finally, a soft beep and a glowing green dot on the screen rewarded her faith. "Ahah. Told you so."

"I stand corrected," Blake admitted, holding up her hands in mock surrender.

"Say what you will about their reception," Ruby said as she started walking in the direction of the Weiss-dot yet again, "But these Scrolls are built tough enough to survive a rampaging Grimm and a dip in the river. This way!"

Speaking of that. What were you doing unconscious and half dead in the river anyway?" Blake asked as she followed the cloaked girl between the trees.

"Oh, ya' know. Going for a swim, trying to catch some fish. Totally not because a giant Grimm knocked me and my partner off a cliff or anything. Oh look, she's moving. Seems like she's headed towards the temple too."

"...What was that about a giant Grimm?" Blake asked, only to be ignored as Ruby grabbed her wrist.

"Onward Blake! To victory!"

"What have I gotten myself into," Blake groaned as she was dragged into the underbrush.

"Awesome-ness," came the cheery reply. "Hey, maybe when we find you a partner we can team up. Then we can help make the world better together. Wouldn't that be cool?"

Also inevitable if Ruby had anything to say about it. If they got to the Temple first, she would just grab a set of matching relics to make sure they ended up on the same team. The crimson huntress wasn't entirely sure what she was going to do to make sure Blake still partnered up with Yang. But, to be fair, she was winging this entire thing completely off the cuff.

Her first plan had an Ancient Griffon sized hole blown in it shortly after landing. Maybe she could just beat anyone that looked Blake's way over the head with Crescent Rose.

"Sure," Blake deadpanned, ducking beneath some long hanging branches. She appreciated the younger girl's ambitions, both what she heard here and last night when they'd spoken briefly, and the fact that she was open minded about Faunus was amazing, but Ruby was also remarkably innocent. It was starting to get on Blake's nerves.

Or it might just have been her itchy ears she had hidden beneath her bow. This was her first time in a true combat scenario with the ribbon on, and Blake only just realized how much it limited her hearing. The sense of vulnerability made her extraordinary irritated.

She hardly noticed when Ruby fell inexplicably silent before the crimson girl raised a hand up in a closed fist. Moments later, the girl tapped a single finger to her raised forearm.

' _Don't move. One enemy.'_

The Faunus quirked an eyebrow at the professional military hand signals, something that only the top notch Hunters used. She only even recognized them after one of the White Fang's bases in Vale had been blown wide open by a black ops team. The Hunter's silently swept through the base capturing or killing anyone they encountered while the Faunus of the Fang screamed and shouted.

After that debacle, Blake had convinced her subordinates to adopt the same silent handsigns for communication. Something she now regretted after seeing how the White Fang was tilting further away from their original goal and more towards uncontrolled violence.

But how did this child learn them well enough to use them with such a casual, practised ease?

"Ruby, what-" Blake started before Ruby turned and glared at her with a single finger pressed against her pale lips. Blake clamped her mouth shut at the cold gaze.

It reminded her of Adam, in a way. Similar but different. Both had a presence that screamed danger. Adam's gaze held barely contained ferocity and a promise of swift retribution for any disobedience, a fire ready to rage wild. Ruby instead rose up over her like a massive tsunami with only two options, follow or get out of the way.

And Blake followed without hesitation. The thought that she ran into another clear leader unnerved her.

An open palm faced Blake, jerked upwards towards the sky. An order to move into the trees. Blake nodded, curious what had caused such a complete reversal of attitude in the previously happy-go-lucky girl.

They both leapt, swinging themselves quietly into the arms of the pines and maples around them. As Blake worked her way into a vantage point occluded by leaves, her ears finally caught the rustling of underbrush.

A tall, armored figure broke through the bushes, scowling as he swung his mace over his shoulder. He glanced around with a sigh as he ran his hand through his slicked back brown hair. Blake caught a few muttered curses as the boy pulled a stray stick from the brown strands. Apparently he wasn't much of an outdoorsman. That was a little unfortunate.

The Faunus felt the tension leave her body. She'd been worried after Ruby mentioned a large Grimm and approved of the girl's apparently natural caution when it came to Hunting. Better to have the element of surprise in a fight. Instead, they'd simply found her a partner. Albeit a partner who looked like he fit better in the tournament ring then trudging through the forest.

Blake moved to drop from the trees and say hello when a pale hand slapped over her mouth and Blake felt the pressure of the other hand gripping her shoulder. Ruby whispered insistently in her ear. " _Don't!_ "

Pulling the hand away, Blake whispered back. "Why?"

"Just… Just wait," Ruby said, her silver eyes hesitant and worried, "I'll explain in a minute."

It didn't take long for the boy trudge forward and start smashing his way through the underbrush again. The Emerald Forest swallowed him him, and within seconds he was nothing more than a set of crashes growing more and more distant. Even still, Ruby's arm wouldn't budge from its place on Blake's shoulder until even the faintest noises had faded away.

The two girls finally slipped from the trees back to the ground. Blake landed lightly on her feet while Ruby, she noticed, dropped into a crouch with her massive scythe at the ready. Something had clearly alarmed the girl.

Ruby swore under her breath, staring into the forest where Cardin had marched off. That had been insanely too close for her own comfort. Blake and Cardin as partners. She couldn't help but scoff.

There was a potential partnership that would've ended in bloodshed on both sides when Blake's secret got out. The only question would be whose blood spilled first. Because Ruby would have made sure Cardin's went last if he touched a hair on Blake's head.

No one was going to hurt her friends if she could help it.

"What was that?" Blake's voice might have seemed flat to most, but Ruby caught the subtle growl revealing the Faunus girl's mounting frustration. If she was any more cat, she probably would've started hissing.

Actually that wasn't entirely out of the question anyway. Ruby could never forget the guttural sounds that escaped Blake's throat when a pair of idiotic medics tried to take Yang's lifeless, bloodied body from the mourning Faunus.

"You didn't want him as a partner," Ruby said bluntly, collapsing Crescent Rose and continuing off towards the Weiss-dot on her Scroll. If they were lucky they should meet up before reaching the Temple.

The sound of an impatiently tapping foot forced Ruby to turn around and meet the irritated glare Blake settled on her. "Oh, don't give me that look. You and that jerk would've made a terrible pair."

Ruby turned away, and when it became clear she wasn't going to look back again Blake jogged to catch up with the shorter girl. "What right do you have to judge him when you don't know him?"

"Oh, I wish I didn't know him," Ruby muttered before answering, "That guy's the worst kind of bigot. He doesn't respect Faunus at all. As soon as he knew about your ears he would've started insulting you non-stop until you were at each other's throats. You don't need that kind of crap. No one deserves it."

Blake paused, slightly taken aback at Ruby's vehement but concerned opinion but she could make her tongue work again. "I can take care of myself."

"I know that," Ruby waved Blake's response away. "You're the best at being alone. But that doesn't mean you always have to do everything alone. It's what friends are for."

Uncomfortable and unsure of how to take Ruby's sudden declaration of friendship, Blake reacted how she always did. Evade. "That seems like quite a different opinion from the girl I talked with last night."

Ruby shrugged as the trees started to thin out. They were coming up on a clearing that should lead them directly to the relics.

"I'm not dumb. The world isn't perfect. Sometimes you can make it better by being a hero to someone, and sometimes you have to punch a jerk in the face and drag them kicking and screaming past their own prejudices."

"That's… remarkably insightful," Blake offered hesitantly. Ruby shrugged again, this time smiling up at the Faunus.

"Everyone has their moments. Oh, look," Ruby exclaimed, pointing at the rapidly blinking dot on her Scroll. "The tracker's just past the far tree line! We're so close. Wait, there she is!"

Ruby and Blake watched as a pair of figures, one short and white, the other tall and yellow as the sun, broke through the underbrush on the opposing side of the clearing.

"Weiss! Yang!"

Ruby vanished, leaving Blake to pick rose petals from her hair as the crimson Huntress closed the distance in mere moments. Yang gave a wry glance at the Heiress next to her. "Told ya'."

Weiss made a noncommittal noise in her throat, turning her head to the side to hide the embarrassed blush that tinted her cheeks. The soft chuckle that slipped from Yang's lips let her know exactly how well that worked.

The blonde Huntress stepped forward with wide arms, ready to wrap her little sister in the biggest hug possible.

And her jaw dropped as Ruby zipped straight passed her, practically tackling Weiss to the ground as she threw her arms around the white-haired girl's neck.

"Oh my god, Weiss, I'm so glad you're okay, because I don't know what I'd do if you weren't, not that I doubted you'd be okay but still…" Ruby said before descending into a rapid staccato of unidentifiable words as she clutched the Heiress tight despite Weiss' best attempts to remove her. The cloud of happiness swelling in her chest more than made up for the pain radiating from the redhead's newly aggravated rib.

"Hi Ruby, why yes, your loving older sister is okay. And look, I even brought you your partner," Yang said dryly, turning to the pair with her fists planted on her hips. "No, no need to thank me, anything for my adorable baby sis who just so happens to be ignoring me completely."

"Ah hush, Yang. I knew you were fine. You can break pretty much anything you run into in here, Ruby shot back dismissively as she clung to Weiss' arm, "The last time I saw Weiss, we had just fallen off a cliff. Give a girl a break."

"Speaking of which, you can let go now," Weiss wheezed as the arm around her neck squeezed her into a tighter hug that just so happened to be slowly cutting of her air supply.

"Oh, right!" Ruby held her partner at arms length, scanning her up and down, "You look a ton better than before. Your aura's patching you up fast. Did someone give you a boost?"

"Yo," Yang said with a raised hand.

"Have I mentioned how you're the best older sister anyone could have lately," Ruby asked without taking her searching eyes of Weiss.

"You could always make an effort to say it a little more often."

Weiss stared at Ruby, clearly confused. "What are you doing?"

Ruby met the Heiress' eyes, and for the first time Weiss noticed just how concerned the younger girl was. "Making sure you're okay. I was so worried about you."

That threw Weiss off. Where was the reckless, infuriating girl who wouldn't look before she leapt from earlier? Or the furious, red-eyed ice demon that stared down a charging Grimm and won. She couldn't only stumble out a muttered, "Why?"

Ruby cocked her head to the side, "Well, 'cause you're my partner. Duh. It's my job to look out for you."

The simple answer lit a tiny flame of warmth in Weiss' chest, not dissimilar to the soft glow and heat Yang's aura had left behind. She didn't like the feeling of this seemingly new emotion. "Well, I'm quite alright, clearly. You can let go now."

"Sheesh, no sense of gratitude at all I tell ya'," Yang muttered. Ruby promptly ignored both of them, fussing over the tiniest of scratches and scuffs on the resistant Heiress. Yang sighed, blowing her bangs out of her face.

"Is she always like this?"

"Pretty much all the time." Yang turned to see the black haired girl from the night before standing behind them, still wearing that cute little bow. Blake, wasn't it? She smiled, "Hello again!"

Blake smiled back hesitantly, but oddly kept her eyes averted to the side. Yang pursed her lips. "What, do I have something in my teeth?"

"No, nothing like that," Blake offered, her gazing wandering everywhere but Yang's face. She glanced over to Ruby. This one had to be a better partner if she was Ruby's sister, right?

Still, Blake found herself cautious.

The blonde frowned, stomping over to Blake and leaning right into the Faunus' face. The black haired girl tensed, deliberately keeping her eyes staring away from Yang. The heat radiating from the taller girl brought a light blush to her cheeks. No one had been this close to her in a long time, and between that and the alluring warmth, it all made Blake extremely nervous.

"You don't have to lie. I totally have something in my teeth, don't I?"

"But… I'm not lying?" Blake tried to interject. The close proximity to that incredible warmth made her brain sluggish.

"Oh. Well then," Yang leaned away and Blake let out a relieved breath. Suddenly her lilac eyes went wide with horror. "Oh no. I have a pimple, don't I? Oh Dust, I have a zit!"

Astounded, Blake swung her gaze back to Yang with her mouth moving soundlessly as the blonde covered her face. "What?!"

"No, don't look at me Blake. I'm hideous," Yang moaned, "My flawless complexion ruined. Ruby, how bad is it?"

The direct question finally worked its way into Ruby's mind. She glanced over at Yang, one of the redhead's cheeks smushed by the desperate Heiress' attempts to stay further away. "Huh?"

"My face is disgusting and Blake won't even look at me," Yang whimpered, "How bad is it? How many zits do I have?"

"What?" Ruby asked, clearly confused, "Oh, Yang your face is fine. Blake's just worried about being your partner."

The time traveler shot the Cat Faunus a smile and a thumbs-up, saying, "Yang's good. At least to be your partner. I'm warning you ahead of time, she's a pain when she hogs the shower and uses all the shampoo though."

"Hey, I resemble that comment!" Yang shot back with mock anger, scowling at her little sister. A finger tapped the blonde on the shoulder. Yang turned to meet a pair of amber orbs. "So, partners then?"

Blake smirked back with a nod.

"Cool, I can live with that. Glad we could get that issue… _popped_."

Weiss groaned as she brushed her dirty clothing. "You have no idea how many puns she made simply walking here."

"Eh, you'll get used to it," Ruby said with a shrug. Weiss shuddered in disgust.

"I should hope not. I'm already questioning my choices with you as a partner. I'd rather not compound that with a questionable team as well," she said.

That hit a little harder than Ruby expected, and her response slipped past her lips before she could stop it. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Weiss stared at her flatly and said, deadpan, "Ruby, you got us knocked off a cliff, through a temple, and into a river at the bottom of a chasm."

"Well, when you say it that way it sounds bad…" Ruby muttered.

"Does this have anything to do with the giant Grimm you mentioned earlier?" Blake asked, not entirely sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Uhm," Ruby hesitated at the forbidding glares both Yang and Weiss shot her, one that promised retribution if she put herself in harm's way and the other that definitely demanded answers about that exact chain of events, "Yes, technically. But it's also technically dead. So yay, go team?"

None of the other three girls seemed particularly satisfied with her lackluster answer. Ruby swallowed nervously. "Anyways, we should get moving right? The relics are just up ahead, no time to waste. Wouldn't want something bad to happen to them, right?"

She started walking away, ignoring the heated glares she felt on her back.

And as if Ruby were the mouthpiece of fate itself, a thundering explosion rocked the Emerald Forest. Dirt and chunks of earth erupted into the air from beyond the trees to their north, the debris covered in _pink_ flames of all things as they tumbled back to the ground.

And through the echoing roar of the blast came that familiar ear-piercing, unnatural screech. One that sent shivers crawling up Ruby's skin and stood the hairs at the base of her neck on end.

The howl of a furious Griffon.

She didn't need to look over at Weiss to see the other girl's horrified expression. She did anyway, trying to give her partner some reassurance. She really didn't have much to offer. Terror grabbed Ruby firmly, fighting hard to keep her boots stuck to the ground. Even with all her experience, the thought of killing that Dust-be-damned monster again made her second guess herself.

Clearly it wasn't quite as dead as they hoped.

"No," Weiss whispered, "We killed it. I _saw_ you kill it. You cut half its limbs off."

"Guys, what exactly is _it_?" Yang asked.

"Griffon," Ruby answered quietly, letting Crescent Rose extend in her hands. At least that gave her some measure of comfort. "A big one."

"... How big is big exactly?" Blake questioned.

The creature suddenly rose above the treeline, massive even at a distance. The ground rumbled with each beat of its wings. Ruby noticed where it had lost limbs and a sizeable portion of its side, the white ivory of replacement bone grew. Black, pulsating shadows wrapped around the exposed skeleton, the Grimm's version of muscles and tendons. Deep within, she could just barely catch a glimpse of throbbing organs.

It was still healing.

"That big," Weiss answered unnecessarily.

"Oh," Yang stuttered out, "Well, okay. Uh… Oh."

Blake glanced at the smaller two girls incredulously. "You fought that?"

"Fought is one way of putting it," Weiss said, finding just a touch of her usually self behind the gut clenching fear.

The Griffon dove back to Remnant, slamming into the ground hard enough to send all four girls reeling. They stumbled, dropping to their hands and knees as the earth trembled beneath them. Another loud blast and more pink fire rose over the tree line. The Griffon howled, and an entire tree trunk spun wildly through the air, carelessly tossed aside like a child's toy. It swept over their heads and vanished with a crack of shattering wood.

A shrill scream, this one very human, floated through the air. Now, that was a scream that Ruby recognized.

"Was that…?" Weiss asked, looking to her partner.

"Jaune? Yep," Ruby started chuckling bitterly. Of course Jaune found himself neck deep in trouble. Again. And it was up to her to bring the cavalry in. Again.

Seems like even traveling back to the past still didn't change Jaune Arc. He always bit off far more than he could chew. Whether it was in helping distribute supplies to refugees for days until he eventually passed out from lack of sleep, surviving on the frontlines during the Massacre at New Menagerie, or fighting Ancient Grimm abominations that could heal mortal wounds. And she loved the idiot for it.

"If Jaune's there, then that means Pyrrha's there too. We gotta help them," Ruby stated. "Hey, Yang. Do you still have that emergency back up magazine for Crescent Rose?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure," Yang pulled the metal box from her array of pouches and tossing it to Ruby. She tried to lighten the mood with a joke. "You get a little trigger happy this morning, sis?"

It fell extremely flat when Ruby responded with a casual, "No, I just used all my ammo on that thing the first time we fought it."

"Oh," Yang glanced up at where the Griffon had hung in the sky, "Yeah, those bullets really seemed like they did a lot."

Ruby slid the fresh mag into her sweetheart with a satisfying clack, loading the first round into the chamber. "You guys ready?"

Weiss took a deep, calming breath, unsheathing Myrtenaster and make sure each chamber was loaded with Dust. "Are you sure about this? You understand how handicapped we are going into this fight, right?"

Granted, she was speaking with the girl who also was capable of bisecting a Grimm with a single aura powered strike. Maybe it was that bitterly cold power that give Ruby the raw determination to fight against any and all Grimm no matter how long the odds. Still, despite all her rash attitude and her lack of discipline, the redhead was definitely powerful if a bit of a loose cannon.

"We can't just leave Jaune and Pyrrha," Ruby insisted.

The Heiress looked to the remaining two members of their hodge-podge group. Yang slammed her fists together in a display of false bravado to cover her clearly anxious eyes. "I'm not letting my sister go anywhere without me."

Blake seemed more resigned to the battle than anything else, and Weiss realized a small part of her wished for the more thoughtful girl as her partner. "There is strength in numbers."

Weiss turned back to Ruby with a sigh. "Fine. Let's go then."

Ruby took off at a normal run, unwilling to even try using her Semblance while her aura was still recharging. She'd need every drop of it to survive this. Her team followed close behind her as they sprinted into the northern treeline of the clearing, the sounds of explosions and angry claws growing ever louder.

"So, do you have a plan this time?" Weiss asked from next to the cloaked Huntress.

"Same plan as a last time," Ruby said with a grimace. While it had definitely healed much faster than she'd expected, there was still a annoying twinge in her side with each step.

"... You actually had a plan last time?"

"Yeah," Ruby grunted, "Hit it until it dies."

Weiss shook her head hopelessly. "Why am I not surprised?"

* * *

This was definitely a bad day. That thought floated through Jaune's mind as he sprinted through the woods, his chest heaving and his heart pounding. "Pyrrha, faster!"

"I'm right behind you Jaune!" The blond knight detected the slightest hint of frustration behind the panic and exhaustion in his partner's voice. It vanished a second later as a boulder the size of his old room sailed through the air, ripping through the trees in front of them like paper.

The howl that followed chilled them to the bone.

"On second thought, perhaps we can pick up the pace a little," Pyrrha said weakly. Jaune nodded, not trusting anything but another high pitched shriek to leave his throat.

He risked taking a glance over his shoulder. The sight of the massive black torso of the creature surging through the Emerald Forest behind them gave new life to his tired legs and the Grimm's hateful red gaze caused his heart to drop into his shoes.

"I thought Ruby and Weiss killed that thing," Jaune said, though it came out as more of a question. Pyrrha shook her head somberly.

"I don't think any two Huntresses could handle that alone, no matter how skilled they might be," Pyrrha confessed.

"What're you saying, Pyrrha?" Jaune demanded.

"I think we have to assume that they ended up sacrificing themselves to buy us time," Pyrrha stated, staring straight ahead as she ran, unwilling to see the heartbreakingly broken expression settle across Jaune's face.

"But…" Ruby couldn't be dead. She seemed so good at being a Huntress already.

"We will set aside time to honor them later, Jaune. For now, we have to make it out of her ourselves," Pyrrha urged. Her gazed looked back before her eyes went wide. "Jaune, dodge right!"

"Dodge?" Jaune repeated dumbly as Pyrrha vanished into a ball of red and gold rolling away. A white blur descended on him. "Oh crap!"

Jaune did his best to jump away, instinctively raising his shield to cover his side. Hardened bone clanged against the Dust-enforced metal, and the raw strength behind the strike sent Jaune tumbling to the ground.

"Don't stop moving!" Pyrrha called out. The world spun before the blond, filled with dirt and grass, but he did his best and curled into the roll. When he felt his sneakers hit the ground, he kicked out and popped awkwardly onto his feet again.

Moments later, with a whoosh of air he felt on the back of his neck, another claw sunk into the ground where he'd just been laying. The Griffon roared angrily, denied its prey yet again.

"Keep running," Pyrrha shouted as she opened fire with her rifle, drawing the ancient monster's attention. It turned to her with a snarl, swiping at the Mistrali as she danced from behind tree to tree. "There's a clearing just up ahead. Get there and find cover."

Jaune could barely make out his partner's fleeting form between the Grimm's thick legs. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine, Jaune," Pyrrha declared, though her voice wavered, "Go!"

"No, I'm not leaving you," Jaune stood resolute. Pyrrha despite let wished he hadn't.

"Jaune, we don't have time urgh-" Pyrrha's retort came to an abrupt stop as the Griffon's tail lashed out, catching her in the stomach. She slammed into a tree and dropped to the ground, dazed.

"Pyrrha!"

The Griffon stalked closer, chirp softly with its otherworldly voice. It lowered its head to stare at the woozy redhead pensively. Its mouth opened wide and if it had a tongue, Jaune could only imagine it would be licking its lips.

So Jaune decided to do what he could only call his dumbest decision that entire day. He rushed forward, Crocea Mors grasped in both hands. White light seemed to emanate from both the blade and his body as he stabbed it down into the soft flesh of the Grimm's lower leg with a fierce yell. "Leave her alone!"

The sword sliced through the Elder Griffon's body almost effortlessly, only stopping when Jaune planted it hilt deep into the thick corded muscle. White energy, his Aura Jaune realized, poured from the wound and radiated from his hands.

The Grimm flinched with a surprised screech, whirling its head around to stare astounded at the tiny human that caused so much agony with a single strike.

Beads of nervous sweat accumulated and trailed down Jaune's forehead as that soulless crimson eye locked onto him, judging him and finding him to be a greater threat to its existence. A soft snarl, almost like a warning of the torment it would be soon visiting upon him, slipped from its beak.

Despite the fact that he was quite literally shaking in his shoes, Jaune refused to break eye contact with the beast. Even when Pyrrha called for him weakly.

"Jaune? Jaune, what are you doing?"

"Just stay there for now, Pyrrha," Jaune ordered, "I think it wants me more than you now."

His shoulders slouched. "God, this better be the only time I say that about a giant monster and have it be a good thing."

The snarl grew louder and rougher, evolving into a full fledged, ferocious roar.

Jaune broke the stand off first, yanking his blade from the Grimm and full on sprinting towards the clearing Pyrrha just pointed out. Branches and bushes tore at his clothes and hair, but Jaune knew if he slowed down even a fraction it would cost him his life.

The pounding claws of the Griffon growing ever closer each second only served to drive that point home.

With a gasp, he broke into the the field. Ahead of him lay a small heap of dark gray stone, the remains of a curved wall and a few supporting columns. Behind him, the Grimm crashed through the treeline and a spray of shattered wood and overturned dirt. It dug its claws into the earth and launched forward for him.

Jaune made a beeline for the stone structure at a dead run, never once slowing or stopping. Even when his lungs burnt in his chest, he didn't allow himself to rest until he he reached the closest stone wall, sliding to a stop behind it and slamming his back against the half destroyed wall.

The Griffon's gallop slowed to a walk, then finally stopped. Jaune could hear it sniff the air, searching for him.

Correction, this was absolutely the worst day ever that anyone has had or ever will have on the face of Remnant, Jaune thought as he pressed himself harder against the gray cobblestone.

He crouched against the interior wall of the ruins, and realized this was the temple Ozpin had sent them after. Calling it a temple was a bit of an over-exaggeration, Jaune thought. It was little more than a medium sized circular platform of stone surrounded by pillars and crumbling walls. In the center he noticed a bunch of pedestals with tiny gold and black statues, but that wasn't exactly his focus for the moment.

Really, he'd only dove in here because the other option was facing the monster just outside with no cover. In hindsight, maybe he should just listened to Pyrrha when she told him to run next time. He glanced at the statues dotting the edges of the ruins again.

Where those… chess pieces?

The stone shook as that… thing screamed again, the sound echoing painfully in his ears, and resonating through his skull. Jaune slid himself along the wall trying to work his way around the temple. Maybe, with just a little bit of luck, he could sneak out the far side before the Grimm noticed.

Of course, he never had that kind of luck.

A skeletal claw, easily taller than Jaune, burst through the cobblestone in a cloud of dust. It flailed about, searching for Jaune, before the Griffon extracted it and rammed it back through the wall again. Jaune rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the sharpened bone as the Grimm tried to pull him from his cover.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted. The blond saw the girl in question limping across the clearing towards them.

"Pyrrha!" he shouted back. The Mistrali stood on the far side of the creature, snapping her rifle to her shoulder and letting loose with a hail of bullets. But clearly the Griffon either didn't notice or didn't care as it continued trying to smash Jaune through the temple wall.

"Jaune, hold on!" she cried back as she closed the distance to him, even with the Griffon directly between them. "I'm coming, I swear."

The Grimm's whip-like tail slashed through the stone wall, slicing through the rough granite like tissue. Splinters of rock and dusty rubble clattered off his armor as he rolled to the side. One of the ivory spines on the tail tugged on his neck, and Jaune felt the meager amount of aura Weiss had given him struggle to protect him from the blow.

He scrambled on his hands and knees to get away. It wasn't enough.

Jaune screamed as his aura shattered for the second time that day and the sharp bone dug into the flesh of his upper back, right above the edge of his armor. The boy flailed wildly as the tail pulled him from the temple, agonizingly slowly.

The creature's gaze pinned him to the ground, its one good eye filled to the brim with vengeful rage. The other was mangled mess, only partially healed. A pained smile slipped Jaune's lips. That had to have been Ruby's doing.

"Jaune! Jaune, no!" Pyrrha seemed even farther away now. Something warm and wet spread over his skin and seeped into his hoodie.

The Grimm stared hungrily at him and snarled. Proclaiming its victory over one of the human foolish enough to challenge it. Delirious, Jaune snarled back, swinging his sword feebly against the thick tail.

If Ruby could leave the Grimm with a lasting mark before the end, then by Dust he was going to try to do the same.

And suddenly the Griffon's face exploded in a storm of pink fire. It howled to the skies, recoiling back and pawing at its beak.

A thin figure in green and white suddenly appeared by Jaune's side, and with a quick squelch, they sliced through the monster's tail. Firm hands gripped Jaune by the arm pits, sliding him away from the writhing beast.

Another explosion of pink swallowed the Griffon, accompanied by the distinctive thwump of a projectile launcher. The Grimm screamed as aura infused flames ate at its face and neck.

"Wha'...?" Jaune muttered. A young man's face looked down at him, framed by black hair and a single strand of pink. Peaceful calm washed over his shoulder, almost like water fresh from the spring. The pain lessened and Jaune's muscles relaxed.

"Hold on," the boy said, "I'm healing you. Stay calm."

"Ren, let's go, let's go!" Another cheery voice interjected. A brief paused was followed by the sound of another explosion and another inhuman scream. "Gotta' get blondie's lazy butt up and at 'em or we're gonna' be bird food! Or would it be Griffon food? I mean, it's got wings."

"I don't think Grimm eat, Nora," the boy, Ren, said. Jaune watched his hands glow pink as he pressed them to Jaune's chest. Ren answered Jaune's unasked question. "I healed your shoulder. Now I'm restarting your aura production."

The same calmness filled Jaune's chest, suffusing his entire body. Moments later, the solid warmth he had learned represented his own aura came roaring forth. He sat up, bewildered as he felt the ragged tear in his hoodie. His finger touched smooth skin before it traced over a rough, bumpy patch that ran the length of the former wound.

"I… thanks," Jaune finally forced past his thick tongue. Honestly, he had given himself up for dead.

He got a thin smile in return from Ren before a red and gold figure smashed into his chest, lifting him to his feet and hugging him tight.

"Jaune, I'm so sorry!" Pyrrha said, blinking past tears, "I thought you were… that you were…"

Jaune wrapped an arm around her as he steadied himself. "I'm okay, Pyr. I promise."

Her frantic eyes met his and he wasn't positive his strained smile was the most reassuring but it seemed to at least bring some of her light back. As well as a burning anger simmering deep in the Mistrali's emerald orbs.

"Hey, killing Grimm now, happy kissing time later," Nora interjected. The orange haired girl landed next to them, wielding a massive grenade launcher in one hand. "You can't swap those. Otherwise the Grimm will kill us first. And then there's no time for happy kissing."

"What? No, no we're not kissing," Jaune sputtered. Pyrrha practically leapt from his arms, hefting her sword and shield. Her cheeks pinked, looking just as warm as Jaune's felt.

"Nora, it's not nice to interrupt a romantic moment," Ren scolded her gently as he loaded fresh magazines into his bladed submachine guns, nodding towards the angry Griffon. "Besides, we have more pressing concerns."

"But Renny…"

Jaune glanced back and forth between the pair. "But we weren't- You know what? Just let the Grimm eat me next time. Put me out of misery."

The taller boy handed Jaune his sword as Pyrrha cocked an eyebrow at her partner. "Are you saying you wouldn't want to kiss me?"

"And she goes for the throat," Nora faux-whispered to Ren, who seem more preoccupied with watching the Griffon slowly recover its vision. Black ichor splashed into puddles on the ground as Grimmflesh grew inch by inch over the burns Nora had inflicted upon its beak.

"No. I mean, yes? I feel like there really isn't a good answer to that," Jaune stumbled over his words, backing away from Pyrrha slowly.

"So about the large, imposing Grimm?" Ren asked. The creature snarled softly at the four humans, pawing the ground with its skeletal claw as it watched them warily, hesitant to engage first.

"Hmm, I sensed some uncertainty there, Pyrrha. He shows fear. Break his legs," Nora advised to her redheaded counterpart. The shorter girl lifted her grenade launcher and within seconds the entire weapon shifted and transformed into a warhammer taller than Jaune himself.

"Speaking of breaking legs," The girl quipped, swinging her hammer at a broken hunk of rubble with a sharpened point at one end. Jaune's eyes widened as Nora casually launched the impromptu missile at the Grimm's legs. It exploded into a hail of splintered stone as it collided with the Griffon's front legs, knocking them out from under it.

It crashed to the ground with startled squawk, one seemingly very out of place escaping such a monster's throat.

"Bam! Take that," Nora smiled victoriously, only to frown moments later as the Grimm clambered back to its feet, howling in pure rage.

"Uh, Nora," Jaune said slowly, "I think you pissed it off."

"Nah, don't be silly," she waved a dismissive hand, "Grimm don't have emotions."

The Griffon roared, leaping into the air with the help of its enormous wingspan. Each beat of its wings sent tornado winds whipping across the clearing. Dirt and leaves spiralled around them, and Jaune covered his arms with a forearm lest he end up with loose debris in his eyes.

He felt like he might really need not to be blind if he had any desire not to end up dead by the afternoon.

The Griffon glared down at them with its one working eye, its malicious red gaze judging them one by one. It finally settled on Nora, a furious growl working its way past its scarred beak. It flapped its wings once more before sweeping the back in preparation.

"Huh, maybe I did piss it off."

"Nora, dodge!"

The orange haired girl dove to the side instantly, trusting Ren's voice would never lead her astray. The Griffon swung its wings towards the Hunters, releasing a storm of razor sharp feathers slicing through the air directly towards them.

Pyrrha leapt to Jaune, pulling the boy down into a crouch as they both lifted their shields. A trio of feathers smashed into them, denting Pyrrha's shield and smashing Jaune's into his head. The raw force behind the strike threw the pair backwards. They skidded across the rough dirt, clutching at each other as the last few feathers stabbed deep into the ground to their sides.

"Take it easy, lazy bums," Nora shouted as she charged the Griffon, smashing one of its clawed hands aside with her warhammer. "Ren and I will pick up the slack. Or my name isn't Queen Nora the Eighth."

"Technically you'd be Queen Nora the First."

"Silence man-servant Ren! The Queen is smashing things!"

"Holy crap," Jaune said, dazed and with his vision unfocused, "That thing packs a punch."

"Of course it does, it's an Elder Grimm," Weiss answered him, "Honestly, did you learn nothing from combat school?"

"C'mon Weiss, give a guy a break- Wait, Weiss?"" Jaune said before he realized who exactly he was talking to. His head snapped around to see the Heiress emerge from the trees of the Emerald Forest along with two other girls and a very familiar redhead in a crimson cloak. "Ruby! You're both alive!"

Ruby shot him a quick grin. "What? Did you think the mean ol' Grimm could take actually take on Ruby and Weiss, Huntresses Extraordinaire?"

"It nearly did," Weiss snapped, "Don't use our names like some preposterous children's superhero show. And let me remind you we are still going to have words about how exactly you killed it the first time."

Ruby winced. That wasn't a conversation she was looking forward to in the slightest. She had hoped Weiss might have forgotten between falling of a cliff and getting rescued by from a rampaging river.

"Besides," Weiss sniffed, "Weiss and Ruby, Huntresses Extraordinaire, simply sounds much better."

"I thought you said it sounds preposterous?" Yang asked wryly as she and Ruby helped Jaune and Pyrrha to their feet.

"It is. But if your sister insists on being a silly child, at least I'll make sure she sounds professional while doing so," Weiss proclaimed.

"She's just a ray of sunshine," Blake muttered, barely loud enough for Jaune to hear. He stifled a snort as Blake handed him Crocea Mors. He nodded his thanks.

"Imma' break your legs, you giant bird-dog thing!" Nora screamed in delight, followed by the sound of metal crashing off hardened bone.

"Still, it's great to see both of you," Jaune insisted. He froze as something clicked in his head. "Did you say you killed it the _first time_?"

"It can regenerate," Ruby said with a grimace. She pointed at the visible bone wrapped in tendons that made up the creature's left legs as it angrily swatted at Nora and Ren's nimble forms. "I cut those off."

"Aw man," Jaune groaned. "How the heck are we supposed to kill it then?" The silence that followed spoke to their complete and utter inability to handle Grimm that could heal themselves.

"We don't need to kill it," Blake said suddenly. She pointed to the slightly more destroyed temple on the far side of the Griffon. "Those are the relics, right?"

"Yeah," Jaune agreed, "Just a bunch of metal chess pieces. What's your point?"

"Ah, I see," Pyrrha said in understanding. Blake shot her a quick smile. "Jaune, she means that our only goal for Initiation was to claim a relic. We don't need to defeat the Grimm, simply get past it."

"Speak for yourself," Ruby muttered sullenly, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening as she remembered how close she'd come to losing Weiss. Again. "I got a bone to pick with that Griffon."

"Not now!" Weiss hissed. "We can worry about revenge after we get out of this god forsaken forest."

"Uh, guys?" Yang piped up, "I think it's looking at us."

The group turned back to the Griffon, expecting to find it still engaged with Ren and Nora. Instead, the Grimm stood stock still with its red eye trained on them. Hatred bubbled in its monstrous gaze.

Ruby felt a chill run down her spine. "I think it recognizes me."

Nora tried to take advantage of the creature's distraction, swinging her hammer full force towards its still healing forelimb. "Don't ignore Queen Nora!"

The Griffon snarled as its bone cracked and snapped, still never taking its gaze off Ruby. With an almost contemptuous swish of its tail, it caught Nora in the chest and threw her clear across the field. The girl slammed hard into one of the larger tree trunks with a burst of pink aura and sickening pop.

"Nora!" Ruby barely recognized Ren's voice, overflowing with terror and anger. Nora crumpled to the dirt, unmoving. "NORA!"

The tall boy dashed to his childhood friend's side. The Griffon reared up, beating its wings and roaring another challenge to the Last Huntress of Beacon. It galloped forward towards them.

"Everyone scatter!" Ruby called out, grabbing Weiss by the wrist. Like hell she'd let the white haired girl more than a step away from her. "Try to distract it! Blake, go help Ren!"

The six teenagers bolted in different directions, Blake and Pyrrha already unleashing a hail of gunfire as they circled the beast. It shrugged off the puny rounds that poked at its thick hide, surging towards the smallest of the girls, its eye locked onto that oh so recognizable crimson cloak.

The red and white duo dove to the side as the Griffon's beak smashed into the ground where they just stood. It lifted its head, gaze flicking around until it found Ruby again.

Ruby struggled to dodge again, thankful her cracked rib had dropped down to merely a dull throbbing. This was going to be tough.

* * *

Blake skidded to a stop by the limp ginger and the frantic form of her tall friend. He pulsed his aura into Nora desperately, magenta energy radiating from his hands into the air. "Nora! Nora, please. Say something."

The girl twitched and struggled to lift herself with a soft groan and Blake could see a weight drop off Ren's shoulders. He eased Nora into a sitting position, constantly feeding her a stream of his aura. Beads of sweat formed at the boy's brow and the energy flowing from his hands grew slower and slower.

Blake dropped a hand on Ren's shoulder. "Easy. Don't exhaust yourself trying to heal her."

Pink eyes glared at her, daring her to try and force him to do otherwise. Blake sighed, kneeling next to him. "At least let me help. Split the burden between us."

"You know how to perform a field transfusion?" he asked, clipped and curt, but he let the tide of power dwindle. Good timing too, as his head started to spin. He blinked, trying to fight through the nausea that came with low aura levels.

"I've had more than enough practice," Blake said drily. With few truly trained doctors in the White Fang, medical attention became something that every single one of them needed at least a passing familiarity with. Often the only thing that saved a wounded soldier was a timely boost of aura to prevent them from bleeding out.

Ren watched her carefully, judging each movement as she pushed the power of her soul into the smaller girl.

"Urgh. Ren, didya' get the number of that dumpster truck that hit me?" Nora said with a delirious giggle, basking in the energy slowly rejuvenating her. She fell silent as she noticed something amiss, looking at Ren and saying softly, "Renny, I can't move my arm."

"Which one?" he asked calmly, thought Blake saw the barest hint of true fear cloud his magenta eyes. Nora nodded to one side of her body.

"Right," She said, still as quiet. Ren grabbed her good hand, squeezing it tight. "Ren, it won't move. I can't lift Magnhild."

"Let's take a look," Blake offered as she moved to examine the limb in question, only to hesitate when Nora shied away. "Or maybe not."

The Faunus glanced over at Ren helplessly. He tightened his grip on Nora's hand. "Nora, we can trust her."

The ginger slowly nodded and Blake started gently running her fingers up the girl's arm, probing. Finding nothing on the arm itself, Blake searched higher and peeled back Nora's shirt sleeve, noticing as she winced. There she found the ginger's skin warped, stretched tight against a protruding edge of the bone underneath.

"You dislocated your shoulder," Blake explained, standing up. Behind her, the Griffon shrieked and the sound of shotgun blasts set her adrenaline spiking.

"We need to get that back in place," she continued, sliding off one of her shoes, only stopping briefly at the sound of a pained scream. "Now. Ren, can you lay her down?"

The boy jumped to work, gently sliding her off the tree trunk and resting her head on the grass. Despite that, the entire time her hand remained clutched within his larger one. Blake slowly lifted Nora's arm and planted her heel against Nora's armpit. She paused. "This is going to be… pretty unpleasant."

Nora looked up at her and she seemed to stare right through Blake, her gaze traveling off into the distant sky. Blake shivered. She knew that look. She saw it whenever she looked in a mirror.

Nora nodded once. Ren said quietly, "We've both had worse."

Taking a quick breath, Blake pulled on Nora's arm and held her torso in position with her leg. She winced as the bone snapped back into place with a squelching pop. The sense of unease she got from the pair grew when she realized Nora didn't even flinch.

"There," Blake said, letting go of Nora's arm and helping Ren lift her back to her feet. "You should be good. Although you're going to need to get that checked out once we get out of here."

Nora nodded again, trying to best to smile up at Blake. It was a rather shaky grin, she thought, more a pale imitation of her normal cheerfulness at best. Ren handed the small girl her massive warhammer.

"You got it, Doctor Blake," Nora chirped, her face pale as she very obviously favored her right arm. "Ren, she gets a single pancake."

Blake raised an eyebrow at that, one that climbed even higher when the boy in question merely shook his head as a clear sign of ' _Don't ask_ '.

Rumbling growls floated to Blake's hidden ears from the brush at the edge of the clearing. She spun, drawing her handcrafted katana Gambol Shroud from her back and her amber eyes searching for danger.

Danger which could be found in the pack of Beowolves slinking out of the shadows of the Emerald Forest. She snarled. The stupid things must've been drawn by the fighting and explosions. Within minutes the entire area could be crawling with tons of the minor Grimm species that called the forest home.

"I think pancakes should wait until we can get out of this," Ren advised, a pair of bladed submachine guns appearing in each hand. He stepped protectively in front of Nora.

The black haired girl groaned as she spotted several other packs break out of the trees all around this side of the field. She turned to other two. "Fall back. We need to regroup."

* * *

Ruby rolled through the grass, the Griffon's tail whistling through the air above her head. Spinning Crescent Rose, she clipped the edge of it as it passed, splattering the ground with black ichor and eliciting a scream from the Elder Grimm.

The blasted thing seemed to hunger for her soul in particular. It barely paid attention to any of the others.

Her head pounded painfully. The agonizing scream that left Ren's lips haunted her. It sounded exactly like the heartbroken, furious roar he'd made when she'd finally fallen just before the gates of New Menagerie, overwhelmed by the powers of a Maiden. Ren joined her moments later when a shard of stone impaled him and left Jaune the sole survivor of Team JNPR.

And now, she'd count it lucky if all four of its future members even escaped the Emerald Forest in one piece. She ground her teeth together. Hard.

Ice crept out of her chest, gripping her heart with frozen fingers. Good. She still her own Maiden powers as a trump card. If this thing had actually killed Nora, she'd have no qualms unleashing the full wrath of Winter on its head.

"Ruby, look out!"

Too late she realized she'd broken her first rule of combat; always stay in the moment. The world came into perfect focus again as the sharp white skeletal claws caught her upside the head.

Her aura flared, only just preventing the blow from snapping her neck instantly. Ruby tumbled across the grass, a line of white hot fire running from her left ear, across the bridge of her nose, and up over her right temple.

Blood cascaded from the deep gash, blinding her left eye. That was fine. She'd gone several years after her left eye had been cut out completely three years before she'd made the jump to the past. Working with only one eye was par for the course.

The Griffon sniffed at her, waiting to feel the terror and pain it longed for. When no such emotions were forthcoming, it cocked its head to the side.

It was toying with her. That particular realization made her angry. Angry made her violent.

Ruby rolled onto her back, letting Crescent Rose shrink back into a rifle. Slamming the stock flush against her shoulder, she pulled the trigger and worked the bolt with habitual ease born of constant practice. Within seconds she'd emptied half of the magazine, peppering the Grimm's beak with gunfire.

It reared back, shrieking as a round caught its destroyed eye. Opening its mouth wide, it lunged down to swallow her whole. Ruby took a quick breath and reached for the power of Winter-

\- Then froze as the Griffon's jaws stopped with a loud pair of clangs. Weiss and Jaune stood to other side of Ruby with rapier and shield at the ready, holding back the upper and lower beak respectively.

"Dunce," Weiss hissed as the Griffon strained against her and the blond knight. Her heels slid back an inch as she struggled with the Grimm's monstrous bite force. "Recklessly running off… Again… Are you seriously trying to get yourself killed?"

"Maybe… she's just afraid... you're going to yell at her," Jaune grunted, his arms trembling as the jaws slowly started to closer. "I know I am."

"Hey, I do not yell at people!" Weiss said shrilly. Despite herself, Ruby could only giggle at the completely ridiculousness of the situation.

"Hey, Yang! A little help?" Jaune said, the hot gusts of air from the Grimm's lungs unnerving him. It tried to grind its jaws together, pushing the two Hunters in training closer together.

Yang glanced at Pyrrha. The Mistrali swallowed nervously when the blonde's eyes gleamed blood red. "Hey, Superstar. Give me a boost, yeah?"

Pyrrha nodded, dropping to one knee and bracing her shield firmly as the brawler sprinted at her. Yang leapt onto her shield, coiled up and with her gauntlets pointed down. Pyrrha thrust her shield up as Yang kicked off the surface, firing a blast of fire Dust from Ember Celica to launch her skyward.

"Seriously Yang. Wanna' lend a hand sometime soon?" Jaune asked frantically as he felt his back press against Weiss'

"How about a FIST?!" Yang roared as she rocketed into the side of the Griffon's head, slamming a shotgun and Semblance powered punch into the bone mask with a loud crack. The Grimm's head snapped to the side and it's body flew into a wild roll.

Where it crashed into the temple playing home to the chess-like artifacts, dust and pulverized rock showering down in a staccato of dull thuds. The Grimm's torso steamrolled over the ruins, flattening it into a mess of stone shards and destroyed pillars.

The Hunters-to-be all stared at the destruction of their only objective in a mixture of awe and ever growing horror. The color drained from Yang's face as quickly as the crimson faded from her eyes, restoring their original shade of lilac. "Uh, oops?"

"Oops?" Weiss started, her voice thick with rage, " _Oops?!_ "

"Well that was certainly… unexpected," Pyrrha said with a small, shocked laugh.

"We… kinda' needed that in one piece," Jaune muttered as he wiped the sweat from his brow. This 'saving people' business was harder work than he expected.

"Please tell me this is all just one bad dream," Weiss lamented, "And tomorrow I'll wake up and still be in the Ballroom before Initiation. My luck cannot seriously be this atrocious."

"Well, the important thing is that Ruby's okay," Yang said as she pulled her little sister to her feet. She ran a critical eye over the long, bloody line running across the smaller girl's face before asking hesitantly. "You… are okay, right?"

"I'll be alright," Ruby assured her, wiping some of the blood away to reveal her intact silver eye. "It's just a bad scratch. You kinda' did a number on the temple though."

"Uncle Qrow is gonna' kill me," Yang moaned, "'Always watch your surroundings,' he says. Crap."

"We have a slightly bigger problem!"

The five teenagers turned at Blake shout. The girl, along with Ren and Nora, fought a retreating, running battle back towards the now destroyed relic temple against a multitude of amassing Grimm. Even from here, Ruby could spot out both Beowolves and Ursa swarming into the field from the treeline.

"That's a lot of Grimm," Jaune whispered, clenching his fists around his blade and shield.

"I've never seen that many creatures at once," Pyrrha said, her wide green eyes surveying the horde. "They must've been attracted to us. Perhaps by the fighting."

"Or the Griffon," Ruby said darkly. "That thing's a walking ball of negativity and bad feelings."

"Whatever it was, we can't stay here any longer. We're running low on Dust and ammo so we can't afford to fight." Weiss surmised. Then she glared at Yang, who scratched her head sheepishly, " With the artifacts gone, our mission is over. We need to escape before it's too late."

"Uh Weiss?" One problem with your plan," Jaune said, pointing nervously over towards the ruined temple.

The rest followed his direction and watched in what Ruby would later call the worst kind of awe as the shattered stone shifted and the Griffon struggled back its feet. It was covered from head to claw in dust and boasted a series of new gashes and cracks along its bone mask, but it was still very much alive.

It howled out at them in frustration and anger, the sound piercing them with its ear popping screech. The lesser Grimm all howled back in response.

"I don't think that thing is gonna' let us just walk away," Jaune said with an awkward laugh. "He seems pretty pissed at Ruby for cutting off his legs."

"Anyone got a plan C then?" Yang asked, loading a fresh set of shells into her gauntlets. "Because those Grimm chasing Blake and everyone are getting kinda' close for comfort."

"So this thing heals itself right? What about the bits you cut off?" Jaune asked suddenly, "Did those heal?"

"No," Ruby said before explaining, "Well, they uh. They kinda' shattered. After I froze them. It's a long story. But they're gone, which is why it had to grow them back from scratch."

"What if we freeze it then?"

"You know, that's actually not a half terrible idea," Weiss said, looking to Ruby and ignoring Jaune's muttered "Thanks…"

Ruby shifted under her partner's gaze. "What?"

"Can you freeze it again?" Weiss asked. Ruby shifted awkwardly. She was never the best at lying, especially not to Weiss.

"I think that was kinda' a one time thing," Which, to be completely honest, it was. She had no idea why her Maiden powers became to so difficult to control instead of springing forth at her whim. "I kinda' just did it last time."

"Well that's just fantastic," Weiss grumbled, raising her rapier and preparing herself for the incoming horde. "It's been great knowing you all, I guess."

"Wait, what about Dust?" Jaune pipped up.

"Beg pardon?" Weiss said as she glanced back at him.

Ruby stared at the blond in dawning comprehension. "No, he's got a point. Weiss, how much Dust do you have left?"

"A few crystals worth of powdered Ice Dust. Why?"

"Perfect, because we just got a plan," Ruby said, shooting a grin towards Jaune who responded in kind. "Pass me all the Dust you got."

"I hope this is a better plan then 'Hit it really hard'," Weiss stressed she unclipped her pouch, removed the Dust from her rapier and added it to the bag before tossing it to the crimson clad Huntress.

"Depends on your definition of better," Ruby told her with a teasing grin. Weiss huffed in response, turning away from her partner.

"We can hold them off for a short while," Pyrrha said as she strapped her vambraces tighter, "But you must finish the Griffon off quickly."

"No worries," Ruby said, "Blake! Ren! You guys are the fastest, so you're with me. Everyone else is on Grimm Duty. Let's go!"

"Just be careful, sis," Yang begged as Ruby vanished in a whirlwind of petals. She looked forward to see her new partner struggling against a group of Beowolves trying to surround her. "Hey, Blake, tap me in!"

Blake reacted instantly, tossing her katana back towards Yang as it shrunk down into a small miniature scythe connected to her wrist by a ribbon. Yang snagged the weapon from the air and held on tight as Blake yanked back on the ribbon hard. The blonde let the force lift her off her feet and pull her directly towards a group of Grimm.

With a battlecry, Yang released the scythe and flew into the monsters at top speed. The ground exploded beneath her as she landed a Dust empowered punch into the center of an Ursa's chest. The creature's innards blasted out its back as it keeled over.

"You're the best partner ever!" Yang exclaimed, driving her fist into a Beowolf's head. "Now get your butt to Ruby and keep her safe for me. I'll take care of these bad boys."

"I call the first shower then. I happen to like shampooing my hair after a fight," Blake shot back, her lip quirking upward.. Yang winked at her and blew her a kiss.

"Oh, you're gonna' keep me on my toes. This is the start of a great friendship. Now get outta' here," Yang smirked. An Ursa swung clumsily at her head, forcing the brawler to duck. Red flared to life in her eyes and her return uppercut to its chin snapped its neck. "I know you did _not_ just try and touch the hair!"

Blake shook her head as she turned and sprinted towards the Griffon, Ren by her side. Up ahead, the Elder Grimm swung its claws wildly as a crimson blur danced back and forth, carving light, bloody trails into its torso. Mere papercuts to something that size.

"'Bout time you guys showed up," Ruby childed as she flipped over the Griffon's tail, landing next to the two taller teenagers. "Thought I was gonna' have to do this all by myself."

"In case it slipped your notice, there's a swarm of Grimm rushing us," Blake said tersely. Ruby waved a dismissive hand.

"Meh, minor details," she declared. Then just like earlier in the forest, with practically a snap of the fingers, Blake watched as the young girl's silver eyes froze into hard chips of metal. This Ruby was dangerous behind belief.

"Here's the plan. We need to stick this bag of Dust to the Griffon and then you need to buy me enough time to shoot it. Any questions?" Ruby asked as she fiddled with a few of the major anchoring screws at the tip of Crescent Rose.

When neither of the black haired Hunters said anything, Ruby nodded. "Great. Blake, go high. I'll flank it. Ren, stay low and get ready to cover us. Break!"

The three Hunters in training vanished, each sprinting in a different direction, and not a second too soon as the Griffon brought its tail smashing down where they just stood in a cloud of dust and rubble.

Blake vaulted over a low swinging claw, tossing out Gambol Shroud in its scythe form. It snagged on the creature's hide at its neck and she swung into the air. Her boots smacked against its ribs and she took off, sprinting along the creature's side with the help of her belying ribbon. Drawing her sharpened sheath, Blake slashed at still regrowing tendons by the creature's shoulder.

It howled, snapping its tail at her. With the help of her Semblance, she materialized a clone to take the blow. Watching dispassionately as it impaled the aura born creation, Blake leapt off the dying clone's back.

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled her scythe back to her as she landed on the Griffon's beak. She glanced at the numerous cracks in the bone mask and, without a second thought, slammed the tip of her sheath down on one.

The weaponized sheath snapped through the bone and sank half its length into the soft tissue underneath. The Griffon screech in agony, raising its forelimbs to claw at the insignificant prey sitting on its face that had the _audacity_ to actually hurt it.

"Hold on, Blake!" Ruby shouted. Blake would've snorted at the stupidity of that comment if she had the time. The Elder Grimm thrashed back and forth in a desperate attempt to dislodge her, and the constant shaking sent her stomach swirling. "Ren, give her some help!"

Ren hitched a ride on a leg as its swung past, clinging to the rough mixture of fur and feather that covered the Griffon's front limbs. As the monster swiped at Blake again, Ren leapt off and buried the bladed end of one of his SMG's into the creature's healing eye.

If it's first scream was terrifying in its rage, the inhumane sound that escape from its break now was downright unbearable. Blake, for the first time ever, cursed her Faunus heritage that gave her two pairs of ears.

"Ruby, if you're going to do something, do it now!" Blake bit out, struggling to remain conscious as the Griffon's bellow rippled through her bones. Something things weren't meant to be experienced by mortal ears.

"I got ya'!" Ruby shouted as she sprinted out of the forest from behind the Griffon at full speed. She jumped up the monster's flank and zipped down along its spine. "Blake, toss me Gambol's ribbon!"

Blake obeyed, coiling a length of the ribbon around her arm and throwing one end to the mastermind of this particular plan. Ruby grabbed the ribbon with one hand, wrapping it around her forearm and dashing past Blake. "Don't drop me!"

And then she dove off the Griffon's beak.

The ribbon snapped taut, nearly pulling the Faunus girl's arm from her socket. Ruby swung like a pendulum down at the Griffon's chest. Crying out, she slammed Crescent Rose as hard as she could into the monster's hide, a familiar Dust pouch impaled at the tip of the scythe.

The blade sunk through the skin and buried a solid foot into the Griffon's body, sticking the pouch to its body as well. Ruby yanked Crescent Rose to the side and the screws she meddled with earlier gave way entirely

The tip of her sweethearts scythe blade snapped off cleanly, leaving it and the pouch of Dust embedded in the monster's torso.

Ruby smirked as she hung on Blake's ribbon, but that grin died quickly as the Griffon slowly turned its head to the side and stared harshly at her. A soft growl passed its beak.

"Blake, remember how I said don't drop me?"

"Yes?" came the hesitant response as the Griffon snarled at the prey quite literally dangling in front of its nose.

"Ignore that! Drop me!" Ruby screamed as the Griffon snapped at her, only missing her back its own head movement caused the Ruby to swing wildly to the side. "Drop me, drop me, drop me!"

Ruby swore as, instead of biting at her again, a massive hand curled around her and tried to crush her like a grape. It was only with a chance bit of luck that she was able to angle Crescent Rose and wedge her between a claw and the Griffon's palm that prevent the Grimm from squishing hear.

"Guys, get clear," Ruby instructed, bracing her back against the wall of flesh behind her and pushing hard with her boots to keep the hand open just a tiny bit more.

"What about you?" Ren asked. Ruby shook her head.

"I'll be fine, just go!"

Ren and Blake shared an apprehensive look, but compiled. Freeing the ribbon from her blade, Blake yanked her sheath from the Griffon's face and dropped off the far side. Ren shot Ruby one more questioning look before he too dropped away.

"Hopefully," Ruby muttered to herself. "Hopefully I'll be fine."

The Griffon roared in triumph as the lesser prey abandoned the crimson one. It squeezed tighter, but found itself still unable to crush the little human's body to dust. Frustrated, it beat its wings, intending to find a place to properly devour this human. It would leave the lesser ones to the children to take care of.

"Or you can start flying," Ruby whispered bitterly. She turned to glare straight back at the Griffon's crimson gaze as it tried to crush her once again in its grip. "You know what, I've had it up to here with your shit, Mr. Griffon."

It snarled back at her. For once, the thunderous sound didn't even phase Ruby.

"I'm tired. I hurt. I've watched everyone I care about die horribly. I've seen more war than you can ever imagine," Ruby growled, her lungs heaving and her hands freezing cold. Blood dripped into her eye again. She wiped it away roughly, not noticing the rime spreading over her hands and Crescent Rose.

"And somehow I've traveled back in time to do it all again, and keep everyone alive this time, but you are just freaking determined to screw things up," Ruby roared. A ball of ice settled in her chest. She relished the feeling. "Well, screw you!"

Shards of ice exploded from Ruby, tearing Grimmflesh asunder and piercing through the Griffon's hand and clawed fingers. It screamed and opened its paw, letting Ruby drop from its grip.

Her cloak fluttering behind her, Ruby tumbled down through the air towards the rest of her friends where they fought in a shrinking circle, Grimm surrounding them on all sides and pressing closer by the second. She spun herself upright and fired off the remaining rounds in Crescent Rose to slow her descent, making sure to keep one left in the chamber.

She landed hard in the center of the circle, rolling to the side and coughing as another stabbing pain lanced up her side. Ruby figured she might have just re-broken that rib again. It would have to wait.

"Ruby, you okay?" Jaune asked as he helped her to her feet. Ruby gripped his shoulder as she stood for balancing, coughing again. Each breath brought about a lightning flash of agony along her torso. At least it was fading as her aura kicked back in and focused its healing on her ribcage.

"I'm fine," she said, swinging Crescent Rose around and burying the damaged tip of the scythe into the ground. "We gotta' set off that Dust!"

"Everyone buy Ruby some time," Jaune shouted. The Griffon howled at them, circling around the cluster of humans before landing just behind the front lines of the Grimm swarming them. It roared again, encouraging the lesser Grimm forward.

Ruby closed her left eye, not that it was much use with all the blood in it, and looked down Crescent Rose's scope, sighting up on the tiny little bag dangling from the Griffon's chest. She slowed her breathing as best she could, waiting for the right moment.

"So, think you can make the shot?" Jaune asked. Ruby's head snapped to the side to stare at him. That was just plain eerie, hearing Jaune say that phrase.

The poor boy mistook her awed stare for an angry grimace. "Well, not that I'm worried you can't make it. More just the 'impending death' thing if you miss. Heh."

Ruby shook herself out of her stupor and smiled at him. "We got this."

It would've been more reassuring if she hadn't been bleeding all across her face from a massive gash.

Around them, their friends and partners fought desperately to give Ruby the extra seconds she needed to take the shot. The Grimm fell in droves to their weapons; stabbed, smashed, sliced, or frozen.

Pyrrha hesitated as she watched Weiss dispatch a Grimm by shattering its frozen head. "Weiss, didn't you give all your Ice Dust to Ruby?"

Weiss glanced at Pyrrha questioningly. Her eyes suddenly widened as she quickly glanced between the dead, frost-covered Grimm before her and the Dust Revolving Chamber on Myrtenaster.

Pyrrha spun around towards her partner and the crimson Huntress, shouting frantically, "Wait, Ruby don't-"

It came a second too late as Ruby found her target and squeezed the trigger. Crescent Rose spat the last round in her magazine with a roar. The Gravity Dust bullet streaked through the air, passing the horde of Grimm overhead, and shredding through Weiss' pouch where it hung from the Griffon's chest.

And setting off the Fire Dust powder hidden inside with the force of a bomb.

The Griffon simply ceased to exist, swallowed in a blinding flash of fire and heat. An invisible fist smashed into Ruby's chest and her world vanished into a ringing, white, oblivion.

* * *

 **Screw Initiation. Seriously. When it transformed into this monster, I'll never know. But we're at the end of it. Next chapter we get to see the dust settle and who or what is left standing. Also never underestimate how long moving and unpacking can take. Pro tip for both life and writing.**

 **Side note, this is all part of what I consider the set up, the opening act, for the main story of Crimson Memories, so anything you see here can and maybe used in the future. It's all foreshadowing and as such it won't always make complete sense because you don't have the full picture yet. While I love seeing people guess where things might head, if you jump to negative conclusions about the whole story as a result, you could be wildly off base because I simply haven't covered that part yet.**

 **If you're honestly truly concerned, review or PM me and I'll try to address your issue without outright spoiling anything.**

 **Second side note: I'm waffling on the rating for Crimson Memories. This is, more or less, as violent as it gets in terms of graphicness but I'm not sure if some of the things I've described would warrant an M rating if they were happening to a human (which may or may not be the case down the line). Anyways, if any of you want to give your 2 cents on that topic, feel free.**

 **Next chapter should come much faster. I hope. Probably won't be as monstrously long.**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	7. Blood and Dust

**Welcome back. I'm surprisingly only a few days late. Blame Stranger Things. That show was hell to get ready for launch. Also, call this a birthday gift from myself to you guys. Even though that's backwards from normal if it's my birthday. Whatever, I haven't slept much. STORY!**

* * *

 **Blood and Dust**

* * *

White. White and ringing.

Ruby blinked and the pure abyss slowly faded away. Her chest ached and a hacking cough escaped her lips, ash and dust swirling gently around her face. She stared uncomprehendingly up at the sky above her, the deep blue color marred by a hazy cloud of dust and covered completely in patches by thick, black smoke.

Why was she on the ground?

Last thing she remembered was facing down the worst of all Elder Griffons she'd ever encountered. Now her whole body felt tenderized and roasted, caked in a layer of scorched grime.

Ruby sat up delicately, her labored breathing echoing through her skull along with that low, painful ringing. The gash across her head still burned, coagulating blood creeping down her face. Gray flakes drifted lazily through the air as wide, silver eyes took in the wreckage all around her.

The blast had incinerated the grass and even caught the trees circling the edge of the field, leaving behind dry, cracked earth and leafless, blackened husks of wood. At the epicenter of the explosion, a deep crater dug into the ground exactly where Ruby remembered the Griffon standing. As if something had gouged into Remnant with an enormous knife.

Oddly enough, Ruby also remembered being about twenty feet _closer_ to ground zero. She slowly looked behind her. Until a moment ago she'd been resting her head against the charred stone of what was left of the temple.

Other heaps of debris, a mixture of rubble and seared branches, lay scattered unevenly across the field. Small pockets of fire still crackled amongst the remains, casting strange, wavy shadows in the midday sun. All of it coated in a layer of thickening ash.

The only silver lining; Ruby couldn't see a single living Grimm. Unfortunately she couldn't see much else in the way of living creatures either.

The clearing was, to put it quite frankly, a complete and utter mess. Ruby supposed that made sense considering they'd detonated what looked like about half a pound of Fire Dust in the middle of it. A random, nonsensical thought drifted through her head; Weiss probably wouldn't be too happy she exploded again.

Her dazed eyes wandered over to the handle of Crescent Rose, sticking out at an angle from beneath a pile of detris. Ruby clumsily clambered to her feet, slowly shuffling towards her sweetheart. She knew she was in shock. She knew she could have any number of injuries she might not be feeling.

But the soldier in Ruby screamed at her that if she was weaponless than she was as good as dead.

"Step one," she reminded herself, swaying slightly as nausea hit her hard, "Arm yourself."

And so she stumbled over the misshapen mound of earth and wrapped her clammy hands around Crescent Rose's hilt. With a rather pathetic yank, she pulled the blade from the debris.

Weapon cradled in the crook of her arm, Ruby turned towards the center of the crater again. Time for step two, locate friendly casualties.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" she called out.

She stopped as her scuffed boot knocked against something shiny. Glancing down, Ruby saw the cracked upper half of one of the golden Knight artifacts. She stooped over, swiping the damaged relic and stared at it in her open palm for a moment. The once shiny metal was now dull and pitted, half of it burned. She absently slid it into a pouch at her waist.

"Ruby!" a voice broke through the ringing. The Huntress turned slowly to see Yang clambering over the nearest pile of debris. Blood trickled from her ears, marking streaks of red down the girl's neck, and her hair was so thick with dust it looked gray instead of its usual bright, shiny blonde.

"Ruby, stay still," Yang shouted, practically leaping to the ground. She stumbled, landing on hands and knees. "I'm coming."

The smaller girl raised a thumbs up to Yang, bending at the waist and breathing deeply as her stomach rolled. Shock waves ruined the inner ear's ability to balance the body, and the solid dirt she stood on jerked back and forth like ocean waves. She gulped down bile.

Warm arms wrapped around her, squeezing her tight and sending lighting racing along her nerves. Despite the pain, she hugged Yang back, though much more gently. "Oh Ruby. Thank god. I'm so happy you're okay!"

"Me too," Ruby said. The arms squeezed her even tighter into Yang's embrace. Ruby winced.

"I'm never, ever gonna' let you out of my sight again," Yang said, the sharp edges of her gauntlet's pressing uncomfortably into Ruby's back. "Not for as long as you live."

"Yang, I'm really okay-"

Yang continued to ramble, her hug growing tighter by the second. "And I'm going to make sure we're on the same team. I don't care which teacher's face I have to break."

"Yang, please stop," Ruby finally gasped, her face smothered in her older sister's chest. "My everything hurts and you're not really helping."

"Oh, sorry…" Yang's arms loosened enough to let her breathe, but she still held Ruby firmly in place. Something wet plopped on the top of Ruby's head. Ruby blinked as a second and third drop wetted her hair.

"Yang?" Ruby asked, leaning back enough to see the girl's bloodshot eyes desperately blinking back tears.

"Sorry, sorry," Yang sniffed, "I just… really thought I lost you this time."

A pang of guilt flooded Ruby's chest. After so many years of being the last of her family, she sometimes she forgot just how devoted Yang was to her. The crimson haired Huntress shook her head. How devoted Yang _is_ to her. Present tense.

Cracking a tiny, crooked smile, Ruby said, "Hey, you know me. Takes more than some nasty old Grimm to take down Ruby Rose, Huntress Extraordinaire!"

"Heh." As weak as it might be, Ruby was happy to coax a chuckle from the older blonde. Even if it was more of a sniffling hiccup. "Just don't ever do that again."

"I'll try," Ruby assured her with a light squeeze, knowing full well she was probably going to end up breaking that particular promise some time in the near future. The crimson cloaked Huntress stepped back from her sister and glanced around. "Did you find anyone else?"

Yang shook her head, looking anywhere but at Ruby as she ran a hand nervously through her hair. "No, I had to find you first."

Silver eyes narrowed as they noted cracked fingernails covered in blood and dust. Even Ember Celica, Yang's prized gauntlets she'd handmade, hadn't escaped unscathed. The right had lost its topmost guard plate, exposing the shell cylinder mechanism beneath, while the left was split by a long crack. It rattled loosely on Yang's wrist.

Yang sighed under her little sister's scrutiny, hiding her ravaged hands behind her back. "After the explosion, there was a pile of rocks where you were standing. I was… scared you were under there, okay? You're my little sister, I'm supposed to protect you-"

"It's okay," Ruby said, pulling Yang's hands in front of her. She let a small flow of her aura run from her fingers into the gashes on Yang's, knowing that she still held the pool of Winter's energy as well.

Yang shivered as Winter crept a bit of its touch into Ruby's soul, strengthening the redhead's aura. Ruby smiled softly up at the blonde. "I get it. You don't have to explain. I really am okay though."

"That's great that you're both _dandy_ , now could you please get this blasted rock off of Pyrrha and I?"

Ruby and Yang jerked, both sisters glancing over in the direction of the voice. "Weiss?!"

"No, it's the other Heiress stuck as your partner, you dunce!" Weiss shouted back from somewhere beneath the nearest pile of rubble topped with a smouldering tree trunk. "Yes, it's me! Now get us out of here!"

"A little help _would_ be appreciated soon," Pyrrha's strained voice floated out as well. "This boulder is, ugh, extremely heavy."

Ruby felt like laughing. If Weiss was in good enough shape to insult her, then she was more than fine. "C'mon Yang, we gotta' get them out."

"Do we have to?"

"Well," Ruby drawled, "Do you really wanna' leave Pyrrha down there?"

The sisters completely ignored the insulted "Hey!" that drifted from beneath the rock.

Yang thought about it for a moment, looking pensively at the wreckage before sighing. "Alright fine, wouldn't be fair to leave Superstar stuck together with the Weiss-cream cone."

"I swear to Dust, I will stab you repeatedly when I get out of here Yang Xiao-Long!" Weiss shrieked, ignoring the murmured words from Pyrrha as the Mistrali tried in vain to calm the raging Heiress.

Yang examined the distribution of the debris critically, eyeing the massive trunk weighing down on the top of the pile. "I don't think we can just dig them out. Too risky. If we shift things too much, it could crush them."

"That… would be bad," Pyrrha grunted, her voice muffled, "Also not to alarm anyone, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this…"

Ruby shuffled over the to the edge of the pile, sweeping aside smaller chunks of rock and earth until she spotted sunlight glinting off a golden metal shield and tiara deep within the rubble. "Yang! I see them."

An icy blue eye peered out from beneath the golden armor, locking onto Ruby's gaze. Ruby smiled cheerfully down at her partner. "Hiya, Weiss! Hold on, we'll get you guys out in a sec'."

Yang appeared at Ruby's side. "Do you think we can use Crescent Rose as leverage to prop this up long enough for them to climb out?"

Ruby's response was to swing her scythe around, wedging it under the main slab of pinning the two Huntresses. A brief tugged made sure it was securely in place. "You're stronger. You lift and I'll pull them out."

"Deal," Yang said, cracking her knuckles and wrapping her grip around Crescent Rose's hilt. "Get ready, guys. We don't know how unstable this is. So scoot your butts, got it?"

Ruby turned back to the one blue eye. "Weiss, as soon as Yang starts lifting, grab my hand and I'll pull you out."

"Take Pyrrha first!"

Weiss' demand caught Ruby off guard. She blinked, confused. "Say what?"

"Pyrrha's closer. I wouldn't be able to slip past her without knocking something loose," Weiss explained, her eye shifting away from Ruby's.

"Weiss, I'll be fine-" Pyrrha tried to say, only for the Heiress to cut her off.

"Don't argue!" Weiss said sharply to the Mistrali, before her gaze finally flicked back to the crimson cloaked Huntress. "Ruby, pull Pyrrha out first."

Ruby swallowed hard. "Okay. Ready, Yang?" She looked at the blonde, getting a nod in return. "Alright. Lift!"

Yang heaved and, with a bone-shaking rumble of shifting rock, the gap leading down to Weiss and Pyrrha widened large enough to fit a single body. Ruby stuck her arm down to the other redhead.

"Pyrrha, grab on!"

A gauntleted hand wrapped around Ruby's, and the gothic Huntress dragged Pyrrha from the clutches of the earth. They stumbled, and the taller Mistrali collapsed on top of Ruby with a pair of groans as the smaller girl pulled Pyrrha completely free. Ruby wheezed when an armored knee smashed into her stomach and knocked the breath from her lungs.

"Ruby," Yang said through gritted teeth. Her biceps bulged and her arms started to tremble as Crescent Rose wobbled back and forth. "Get a move on. It's gonna' slip- Oh shit!"

With a grinding that stopped Ruby's heart, the rubble sunk lower to the ground. Weiss shrieked as tons of rock closed in on her, dirt and dust pouring into the gap that led to freedom. Her body struggled for oxygen, forcing her to gasp and hyperventilate. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Weiss!" Ruby screamed, diving into the hole and thrusting her hand down to the Heiress, "Weiss, grab my hand!"

Weiss kept her eyes closed with her chin tucked to her chest, choking on the dusty air. Unintelligible, rapid mutterings streamed from her lips as she repeated them over and over again.

"Weiss! Weiss, please look at me!" Ruby begged her partner, stretching for the Heiress' fingertips that were just outside her reach.

"I can't… Hold this..." Yang growled, the rocks slipping down further, "Pyrrha... Get Ruby out!"

"Don't you dare!" Ruby shouted over her shoulder at them. "Weiss, I am _not_ leaving you down there. Just take my hand, please!"

A scarred eyelid cracked open, revealing a single eye with the pupil so dilated it seemed completely black. It glanced around frantically, zeroing in on Ruby's face. It took in the redhead's burnt and blood splattered visage, snapping to the silver orbs flecked with the faintest traces of red.

"C'mon, Weiss. Please," Ruby pleaded, reaching at her arm as far as it could go. "Grab my hand."

A pale, trembling hand slipped into Ruby's, grasping it in an iron grip. "Pyrrha, pull us out!"

"Hold on!"

A pair of arms wrapped firmly around Ruby's waist, dragging her and the white haired Heiress clutching at her hand out of the rubble in a shower of dust and dirt. The three hit the ground in a disheveled pile, tiny pebbles bouncing wildly around them.

Yang released the scythe's hilt, dropping to the ground as it popped out from from where Ruby wedged it between the stones. The wreckage collapsed in on itself with a crunch of splitting rock. Dust blasted from the gaps between the larger chunks of stone, coating the four Huntresses in another layer of grime.

"See?" Ruby wheezed, Weiss' elbow buried in her stomach, "Told you I'd get you out. Ruby Rose doesn't let her partner down."

Icy eyes stared at her in something akin to shocked awe, trembling where she lay across Ruby's legs. Slowly, Weiss' pupils shrank down to a normal size. She blinked.

"Ruby, I- You..." the girl stumbled over her words. Weiss coughed, sitting up and self consciously brushing off her absolutely filthy skirt. "Thank you. You performed… adequately."

"Aw, don't mention it Snow Angel," Ruby chirped with one of her heartwarming smiles. The cloaked girl stood, extending a hand to Pyrrha. "You okay, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, though I have been better. I lost Miló, my sword, in the blast," the Mistrali said, letting the smaller Huntress haul her to her feet. "Still, I'm alive and that's what matters. I'm very glad your unharmed as well."

Pyrrha hesitated and she glanced at the bloody tear stretching across Ruby's face. "Well, relatively unharmed at least. You've been very lucky today."

"It's not luck, it's a skill," Ruby said offhandedly, poking at the front of Pyrrha's armor. The dent left by the Griffon's strike during their first encounter still marred the metal, and Ruby's keen eyes spotted a sliver sized crack winding up the piece. She glanced back up at inquisitive emerald eyes. "You're gonna' need a new breastplate."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose I will," Pyrrha laughed more for her own sanity than finding the rather terrifying situation funny, "Still, I much rather the Grimm broke my armor instead of breaking my bones."

"I've got some ideas for an upgrade or two you might like," Ruby mentioned, mind racing with possibilities. It'd been a long time since she'd engineered anything, and it would be great to dust off her knowledge again.

Ruby turned her grin back to Weiss only for it to dim ever so slightly when a glimmer of irritation flashed across the Heiress' face. "What? I can make you new armor too, if you want? I just thought you liked the combat skirt."

"First Arc, now you?" Weiss growled, "Don't refer to me by that stupid nickname. It's frivolous and besides, I hate snow and I'm hardly an angel."

"Oh. I'm sorry?" Ruby said awkwardly. She bit the inside of her cheek, honestly surprised with how much the simple retort from the Heiress bothered her. "I can… stop, I guess?"

Weiss' sharp nod only churned the uneasy bubbling in her stomach further. Ruby looked away from her partner, picking her way towards the fallen form of Crescent Rose, letting the scythe shrink down and clip to her belt. She felt Pyrrha's gaze flicking between the girls, confused.

"Hey, now. Ruby just saved your life from the mess _you_ got us into," Yang said with no small amount of heat, her eyes a mixture of red and purple, "I think you could show a little gratitude, missy."

Ruby expected Weiss to snap back with some insult or equally biting comment, triggering one of the loud, angry arguments that plagued their early days as a team. Swearing, snide implications, pretty much anything short of outright violence. Despite arguing over anything and everything under the sun, they still held at least that much respect for each other.

So when Weiss' hand clenched around her rapier's hilt and she glared at Yang with twin spots of raging blue fire, alarm bells sounded loud and clear in Ruby's head.

"Okay, guys," Ruby said, dashing between the two and placing a hand on top of Weiss', forcing Myrtenaster to stay sheathed. "We're all a little tense. It's been a long day. Let's just take it easy, okay?"

Yang and Weiss ignored her, ice blue locked on a now deep, angry red. Pyrrha watched anxiously as the two Huntresses tensed their muscles in preparation, her trained eyes recognizing the first warning signs of an impending duel. Just barely noticeable shifts in their stances that left them ready to leap or dive at the drop of a pin.

Red eyes narrowed as the metal of a sword blade glinted in the noon sun, just barely peeking out from the sheath. Yang closed her fists tight, the leather gloves of her gauntlets creaking. "Make a move, princess. I dare you."

The Heiress' lip quivered, baring an angry canine as she inhaled sharply.

And suddenly Ruby face was mere inches from Yang's, silver eyes flecked with patches of crimson glaring into hers. A hand gripped tightly onto her scarf. "That is enough of that."

Wait, red and silver eyes? Yang only had a moment to process that before a hand tugged hard on a lock of hair. She winced, glaring back at her little sister. "Ow! Ruby, what the he-"

"Shush! We are not fighting. Not here, not now." Ruby hissed, pressing a finger to Yang's lips. She jerked her head towards the ruined landscape around them. "You two can deal with whatever the heck this is _after_ we get out of this stupid forest."

"You can't seriously think I'm gonna' let this little brat-"

Ruby pressed her finger against the blonde's lips again. "No. Fighting."

"But I'm-"

"No fighting!" Ruby shrieked, practically nose to nose with Yang. The brawler worked her jaw soundlessly before she shut it with a snap. She blinked, her eyes reverting back to lilac.

"Ruby, you wanna' explain why you're using my thighs as a step stool?" Yang finally asked. Ruby's boots shifted awkwardly on her older sister's legs as she desperately tried to keep her balance.

"I'm short and I'm trying to make a point," Ruby said, one eyebrow arching upwards questioningly. "So… no more fighting?"

Yang sighed reluctantly, gently shoving her little sister off of her. "Yeah, fine. No fighting. For now, at least."

"Eh, good enough I guess." Ruby turned to her strangely aggressive partner expectantly, silently asking the same question.

The Heiress' gaze roved over Ruby's scorched face. Ruby spotted her jaw tensing as she chewed on the inside of her cheek. Weiss looked away, staring out over the destroyed clearing as she nodded once, answering in equally as silent a manner.

Ruby blew out a puff of air as Weiss let Myrtenaster slide all the way back into the sheath. That was one problem solved. Or at least postponed until she could gather her wits and figure out what on Remnant was going through her partner's head before Weiss and her sister went for each other's throats.

"Now that that's settled," Pyrrha broke into Ruby's revery, and if the cloaked wasn't mistaken she detected an uneasy edge to the Mistrali's voice, "Perhaps we can focus on finding the rest of our comrades?"

"Pyrrha's right," Ruby said, "They were all right near us. Heck, Jaune was next to me. They have to be close."

"Very close, actually," a familiar, dry voice said from atop one of the numerous piles of rubble surrounding them. The four Huntresses spun to face the newcomer.

"Blake!" Yang exclaimed, her face cracking into an ecstatic smile as she took in the sight of her partner, "You're okay!"

"Mostly," Blake said ruefully, but her lips still quirked upward in return. She looked as worn down as Ruby felt, covered in blood and burns mixed with torn cloth and bits of ribbon. The Faunus clutched Gambol Shroud in one hand and leaned heavily against an equally battle-weary Nora, one arm wrapped around the orange haired girl's shoulders.

Nora herself rested a trembling hand on the shaft of her warhammer, Magnhild, where she planted it into the debris as a makeshift crutch. The two slowly made their way down the mountain of charred earth and stone.

"See, I told you," Nora said to Blake as they reached the rest of the Huntresses, "When in doubt, just follow the sounds of screaming. Or sloths. Either work."

"I'll… keep that in mind?" Blake responded, clearly unsure how seriously to take the hyperactive girl's advice.

"What happened to you?" Yang asked as she looked over her partner with a critical, worried eye, "I thought you were right next to me when everything, well, exploded."

"I was," Blake admitted, "But I saw Nora right before the blast. She was closer than anyone else. I had to do something."

"Blake was s'cool!" Nora slurred, clearly in awe of her savior. If Ruby didn't know any better, she'd have said it was near the same level of hero worship Nora reserved for Ren and Ren alone., "She made copies o' herself and used them ta' protect us. She's like some kinda' ninja. It was awesome!"

"It didn't completely protect us," Blake said, making a point of pushing Nora towards Ruby and Pyrrha. Taking the hint, the pair of redheads carefully grabbed the girl's shoulders and lowered her to the ground. "I think I broke my leg, but Nora hit her head pretty hard. She's been out of it ever since."

Ruby sifted through orange hair matted by blood down to the scalp. A bloody tear ran along the back curve of the girl's skull and paired with the way Nora's eyes drifted around aimlessly and unfocused, as well as her garbled speech. Ruby was fairly confident the girl had a fairly major concussion. "Ouch."

"That cannot have felt good, no," Pyrrha said, tearing a strip of relatively clean cloth from her trailing red skirt and pressing it delicately to the wound. "Try not to move your head, Nora."

"Okie dokie," Nora deliriously agreed. Her head rolled limply on her neck.

"Here, let me help," Ruby said, gingerly holding Nora's head in place. Aura pulsed from Ruby's fingers into the other girl's body, just a tiny trickle like she'd done for Yang. She felt Nora relax into her palms as a cool sensation swept over her.

A pale hand clasped around Ruby's wrist tightly, disrupting the flow of her soul's energy. Nora groaned as pain came roaring back, while Weiss glared harshly down at Ruby. "What do you think you're doing? You're in no shape to be wasting aura!"

"Hey, don't talk to my little sister like that," Yang growled. She made to step closer to Weiss only to come to an abrupt halt as Ruby shot her a quick warning look.

"What did I literally just say about no fighting?" Ruby bit out, a little harsh than she intended. The slash on her face had turned into a line of throbbing molten metal. She pulled her hand from Weiss' grasp and restarted the steady stream of Aura to Nora's wound. The Heiress clenched her fists at her sides while Yang stared them both down.

"Did we miss something?" Blake asked, looking curiously over at Pyrrha. The tall warrior only shook her head.

"My aura's recharged plenty," Ruby said in a more measured voice after a calming breath, "Besides, I'm just stopping the bleeding and slowing down any swelling in her brain so her concussion isn't as bad."

Both Weiss and Yang stared at her rather blankly. Yang finally asked in a mildly surprised tone. "When did you learn how to treat a concussion?"

Ruby scoffed. "Just 'cause I'm best at weapons engineering doesn't mean I didn't learn other things, ya' know. Hey, Nora, how's your head feeling?"

"It feels awesome!" She grinned at Ruby, and the Huntress from the future winced at the new gap in Nora's teeth. "Blake. Was. Still. Awesomer! I can't wai'ta' tell Ren about it."

She glanced around, finally taking in the group standing around her. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus her sluggish thoughts. "Where is Renny anyway?"

The short ginger's expression changed instantly as she noted her best friend's absence, morphing from enraptured joy to tearful confusion. She glanced around rapidly, jostling Ruby's hands loose.

Ruby unwillingly remembered another Nora, this one two years older, wearing that same exact look as she, Jaune, and Ruby waited frantically for the last member of their ragtag team to escape Mistral before Grimm overran it completely. Just like Beacon, only this time there were no survivors as the city fell to Salem's hellish swarm.

Nora's relief was palpable as her childhood friend finally reached the rest of them, even as fire and shadowy creatures swallowed Mistral with only the shattered moon as a witness. The four of them huddled together, slinking away into the frigid night air.

Taking a risk, Ruby knelt next to her and met Nora's eyes. "We haven't found Ren or Jaune yet. But we're going to," She held Nora's hands in her own and gave the ginger a small smile, speaking just loud enough so only Nora could hear her, "Ren will come back. You know he won't leave you without a fight."

The girl's mood lifted slightly. Not much, definitely nowhere near her normal high energy state, but enough that Ruby felt it had been worth it. Hopefully, Nora would just pass off the strange assurance as part of her concussion induced haze. Otherwise that could lead to some awkward questions later. Still, anything was better than seeing that heartrending expression cross Nora's face again. Now they just need to find the two male members of their team.

A pained scream split the ash clogged air, one that sent Ruby scrambling back to her feet with Crescent Rose unfolding into her hands. She knew that sound. It haunted her, because it was the one scream she was always terrified she would hear next.

"Jaune," Pyrrha whispered softly.

"Weiss, you're with me," Ruby snapped, "Yang, you and Pyrrha keep Blake and Nora safe."

"What? No, I'm coming with you," Pyrrha argued. "He's my partner!"

"And he's my friend," Ruby shot back, "But that doesn't matter right now. You and Yang are unarmed. Weiss and I aren't."

Pyrrha looked mutinous, and for a moment Ruby wondered if the Mistrali might charge off half-cocked anyway before she sullenly backed down. Ruby grimaced, wishing she could say something. The harsh reality was, without a real weapon, Pyrrha would be hinderance in any fight. Logically, Pyrrha knew that. She was the best tournament fighter of their age for a reason.

It never helped the feeling of uselessness when you couldn't save your partner, simply because they were _your_ partner, your responsibility. Ruby grew painfully accustomed to the way dark thoughts could plague an unoccupied mind.

Despite her hands dangling pointlessly at her sides, a determined fire burned bright in Pyrrha's emerald eyes as she stared Ruby down. "Bring him back."

"That's the plan," Ruby said, getting an affirmative nod from her partner. "C'mon Weiss, let's roll."

The Huntress pair dashed off in the direction of the scream, weaving between the rubble. To Ruby, with her proclivity for superhuman speeds, it felt more like a slow jog.

An agonizingly slow jog as another muffled yell reached her ears. But she purposefully held back her Semblance empowered speed. Even with her aura reserves refilling rapidly, her body still ached. Quite a few of steps sent Ruby stumbling to over the uneven ground.

The rapid staccato of gunfire encouraged the Huntresses to pick up the pace. They rounded a mountain of stone at a dead run, weapons held at the ready.

Ruby skidded to a stop. A strangled, wordless cry forced itself past her lips.

Jaune and Ren lay at an angle against one of the granite columns that used to support the former temple, the blonde Huntsman atop his taller counterpart with an arm's length shard of sickly, white bone impaling the two boys and pinning them in place.

Salty bile welled in Ruby's throat.

The bone skewered Jaune through the right side of his chest and caught Ren just below the shoulder on the same side. The black ichor of Grimm bubbled from their wounds, mixing with a steady river of blood that coated the ground and the rock behind them.

"God…" Weiss whispered, her voice hushed and horrified.

Dozens of smaller fragments dotted Jaune's shield, which hung loosely at the end of a limp arm. They boy was almost completely still, and if it weren't for the tiniest movement of his breastplate indicating shallow breathing, the soldier in Ruby would've labeled her oldest friend dead.

Ren was much better off, relatively speaking. Trickles of crimson leaked from his nose and ears, but the stoic Huntsman was conscious. Pained exclamations slipped past his gritted teeth as he struggled to aim the submachine gun in his left hand around the half dead knight in front of him, meaning to bring it to bear against a small Beowolf sniffing curiously at the easy kills.

Ruby stared, transfixed by the scene before her. It seemed so unreal. Jaune was a nigh unstoppable force. Nothing could ever get him down, or if it did, he didn't stay down for long.

Her hands and legs tingled, rooted to the spot. The part of her trained for special ops reminded her that, unless she moved soon, both Jaune and Ren were most definitely dead.

The other part simply snapped.

One second the cloaked Huntress was standing next to Weiss. The next she'd vanished, surging forward in a tornado of rose petals and kicking up a plume of dust around the Heiress.

Stabbing pain crashed into her as the world rushed by in a blur, white hot lightning that crawled across her chest and shot up her legs.

Ruby ignored it.

Crescent Rose swung in her hands, whistling through the air. It lacked the sharpened tip of the blade which Ruby had broken off in the battle against the Griffon, limiting its effectiveness in combat.

Ruby didn't care.

She used Crescent Rose as a cudgel, smashing the rear end of the scythe into the top of the Beowolf's skull with a sickening crunch. The creature crumpled to the ground, dead the moment the blow impacted its head.

Ruby swung again. And again. She pulverized the Grimm, only stopping when its body wilted and disintegrated into fading black dust. Cracked earth sat beneath her scythe. Each harsh breath into her lungs echoed in her ears oddly.

A hand grabbed Ruby's shoulder. She turned, snarling until she recognized Weiss' worried face gazing back at her. The Heiress watched as the raw rage drained from the still silver orbs, leaving them blank and empty. The younger girl's face slackened into a neutral expression, devoid of all feeling.

Honestly, Weiss almost preferred her partner's occasional bouts of demonic red eyes that brimmed with emotion

Crescent Rose's hilt slipped from Ruby's fingers, clattering to the ground. Numbly, she turned away from Weiss and walked to Jaune and Ren. Hollow, silver eyes met pained pink ones.

"I'm going to get you down," Ruby heard herself say, "You might want to bite down on something. Weiss, hold on to Jaune."

The Last Huntress wrapped her hands around the bone shard. She hesitated long enough to get an affirmative nod from Ren, then Ruby sent a burst of Aura to her arms and yanked the fragment of the Griffon out in a spurt of blood.

Jaune's limp body collapsed into Weiss' waiting arms as Ren slid down the stone slab with a guttural cry. He clutched at the bloody hole in his shoulder, panting. Weiss carefully lay Jaune on the ground. The Heiress tore a trailing edge of her skirt into two strips, handing one to Ren and pressing the other against the exit wound on his back.

"Try to keep as much pressure on it as you can," Weiss said. Ren nodded slowly, his throat raw.

"Ruby, do you have enough Aura left to stop the bleeding?" Weiss asked, looking to her partner, but Ruby completely ignored her.

Instead she sank to her knees beside Jaune, pressing her hands to the bloody tear in the boy's chest thick with crimson and black ichor. Ruby took ahold of her Aura and pushed as much of it as she dared into Jaune.

Energy drained rapidly from her body, leaving her light headed. Ruby blinked through the fuzziness, watching the knight closely. Cuts and scrapes across Jaune's face and arms glowed white before shrinking and fading away.

But the gaping wound in his torso remain unchanged.

A spike of terrifying uncertainty stabbed into Ruby's heart. That wasn't normal. Not even remotely. She gathered herself, pushing even more Aura into Jaune's frighteningly still body. Her vision dimmed for a second and Ruby nearly keeled over to the side unconscious.

A white glow surrounded the two, radiating from the knight's skin as it bleed off the excess Aura in the form of light and warmth. Yet still, the gash stayed the same. The Grimm ichor mixed in the injury hissed and popped, trailing thin lines of smoke into the air.

Beneath her fingertips, Jaune's body jerked. An agonized whimper gurgled in his throat.

"What's going on?" Weiss asked frantically, "Why isn't he healing?"

"I don't know! It's not working for some reason," Ruby said. She bit her lip, steeling herself, and called on Winter's Aura lurking deeper within her soul. Raw, elemental power pulsed from her hands, kicking up an icy wind around them. "Damn it, Jaune. Don't you even think about die on me too!"

"Rose, stop!"

"No!" she cried out. The world started to close in on her, darkening by the second, until the only thing she could see where her hands blazing with visible red and silver Aura as she pushed that energy into Jaune's chest. Her eyelids dropped lower. "No, I can save him!"

"Ruby, you're going to kill yourself!" Chilly hands wrapped around the time traveler's wrists, pulling them away from Jaune. Ruby struggled weakly against the iron grip as it took her away from Jaune. Her vision faded in and out.

She saw her hands, caked in blood and mud. Jaune's hair, bright blond with flecks of crimson. His pale, empty expression with shallower and shallower breaths. And the sticky crimson on her hands, her clothes, everywhere.

She was useless.

Panic surged to the surface. Ruby clawed at the arms holding, thrashing back and forth. If she'd had any energy left, she would've snapped those restraining limbs instantly. Instead, Ruby could only struggle futilely, exhausted as she was. Arms pressed her firmly into a filthy, white jacket.

She was useless. And everyone died because of it.

"I can save him," she whispered into Weiss' chest, barely loud enough for her partner to hear. The Heiress clutched her partner tighter.

"Ruby, you've drained all of your aura," Weiss said, her voice cracking. "If you keep at it, you're going to completely destroy your soul!"

Ruby was useless, and Jaune was dying.

"I don't care! I _can_ save him! Let me go! I won't lose him!" she begged Weiss, tears and blood leaking from her eyes as her body and mind started to break down. "I can't lose him. Can't lose him. Can't lose him."

Weiss watched in numb terror as Ruby fell into nonstop, nonsensical muttering. She cradled her partner in her arms, loosening her grip as Ruby's writhing subsided. The younger girl spoke in a near constant stream of half conscious pleading and begging. To their side, Ren drifted in and out of awareness as blood loss took its toll on the boy.

She was alone.

The roar of engines filled the air. Looking up, Weiss saw half a dozen Bullhead airships soar over the forest towards the ruined field in tight formation. A desperate, relieved laugh broke from her chest.

"It's okay. It is going to be okay," she said, more for her own benefit than any actual attempt to reassure the other three in their varying levels of consciousness. "All of you, just hold on."

She pulled Myrtenaster from her waist, spinning the rapier's revolving Dust chamber to one few with any of the power source remaining. Stabbing the blade skyward and channeling a tiny fraction of her Aura sent a flare of blue energy screaming skyward. It exploded far overhead in a blast of snow and ice.

One of the Bullhead's peeled off, veering towards them and circling down for a landing amongst the rubble. The moment it came to a stable hover, the side bay doors rose and disgorged heavily armed Hunters and medics. They first ones off the airship made a beeline for Weiss and Ruby, but the Heiress waved them off.

"Not us. We're fine," she shouted over the roaring turbines. She pointed to the blood covered forms of Jaune and Ren. "Them! They're wounded! Help them first!"

"Can't lose him. Can't lose them. Can't lose you..." Ruby's whimpered between shuddering sobs, just barely audible. The Heiress felt her partner's words reverberate in her chest more than she actually could hear them.

"It's okay. They've got Jaune." she said, standing and clutching the crimson haired girl to her. She slowly walked them over to the Bullhead, noticing how her partner's silver eyes locked onto Jaune and never left him as the medics lifted him onto a stretcher.

"And I've got you, Ruby. Just hold on."

* * *

 **And that is that. We're just going to ignore that despite claiming Initiation was over last chapter, I technically still haven't gotten them out of the Emerald Forest yet.**

 **Shh. I said we're going to ignore it.**

 **Anyway, you guys are seriously surprising me with the positive response I've gotten with this story. Thanks a ton. I'm admittedly pretty terrible in answering reviews, because I just don't have enough hours in the day, but I make a point of at least reading all of them as I'm running between meetings at work. It's a great boost to keep me going during the day. You guys definitely have some interesting theories. I'mma try to be better about reviews. Not making any promises.**

 **Special thanks to Herofire, for getting Crimson Memories posted as a FanFic Rec on TV Tropes. The inner nerd in me is screaming at having anything on TV Tropes.**

 **One last thing I do want to address. Fears about characters being pointless or overpowered/flawless. On the latter point, I hope the above chapter is some initial evidence that not everything comes up sunshine and roses (Pun fully intended.) On the former point, I spent a few months before writing the first chapter just planning out character arcs for a wide spread of the RWBY cast. They all have their place in both the universe and the story of Crimson Memories. Also, the fact that concern was addressed about Pyrrha specifically made me chuckle. Because _oh boy_ , do I have some plans for her. Really all 8 core characters. ****Like I said, this fic is gonna be a wild ride. Buckle up.**

 **Now I'm gonna go sleep briefly before I have to be back at a dozen meetings in the office.**

 **Overlord Swarm departs.**


	8. Scars

**Okay, so new rule. If you're not seeing a new chapter, look at whatever thing has either just came out or is coming out soon on Netflix and blame that.**

 **But seriously guys. Just do that and you'll be right. Anyway, story time and stuff.**

* * *

 **Scars**

* * *

The summer season's dying winds blew across the shattered remains of Remnant, whistling through the trees of Patch. The air carried that constant, sickly scent of carrion and death, smells he could only associate with Grimm. It drifted across the ocean from the coast of Vale.

And from the hive of monstrosities Vale now played host to amongst its once spiralling towers and city streets.

Jaune Arc sighed, scratching at the blond stubble that covered his chin. He pulled back the hood of his thick, brown cloak, exposing his face and neck to the chilly air.

Still, the cool breeze felt good against his sweat-stained skin. He shifted the deer slung over his shoulders to stop it from digging into his back. He'd been tracking the stupid animal for a day now before he finally brought it down with a single, Aura enhanced arrow.

It was a good catch, though, nearly two hundred pounds he guessed. As long as the other hunters caught nearly as much, the village would have fresh meat for a long while.

A bitter chuckle slipped past his lips.

It was ironically, really. He was the only _true_ Huntsman among the ragtag group of survivors that had somehow made the journey to the island of Patch. The rest were only searching of an escape from the endless tide of Grimm that prowled the mainland continents. And here he was, putting his years of training and combat experience to the test by hunting deer.

Truly, how the mighty had fallen.

Jaune stood a little straighter as a tingling sensation worked its way up his spine. Nothing screamed 'danger' to him. In fact, as he glanced around, he knew nothing had changed in the forest at all. But something poked at his mind, a light, utterly familiar buzzing.

A rose petal drifted past him, riding the wind. It flashed as it caught the dying sunset rays filtering through the trees, a single ember flickering red and orange. He plucked it from the air, rolling it on the pad of his thumb as it dissolved into nothingness.

He immediately headed back the way he came, pushing through the forest underbrush at a quick pace. If she was here, he knew exactly where she was going. And he wanted to see her.

After half an hour of hiking towards the interior of the island, through the places that humanity avoided even in their heyday due to the high population of Grimm that spawned in the wilderness, Jaune finally broke from trees. He stepped out onto the cliffs that overlooked the central valley of Patch and surrounded its dormant volcanic mountain.

His gaze settled on the pair of gravestones placed at the peak of one of those cliffs. One a simple granite marker, the other a crystallized rapier impaled deep into the stone. Blue eyes stared at the cloaked figure between them.

Ruby Rose sat silently in the golden hues of the sunset, arms wrapped around her legs and chin resting against her knees. Her crimson cloak splayed out on the grass behind her, concealing Crescent Rose and her armor clad form that Jaune knew lay beneath.

But for just that moment, Jaune could pretend. He could pretend she was still that starry-eyed girl he'd helped off the ground at Beacon Academy. He could pretend her eyes were still sparkled with innocence and honesty, begging for a friend..

"Ruby."

She turned to look at him and the dream shattered. Her dark red bangs shifted, revealing her eyepatch and the thick, purple scar peeking out from under the edge of the black cloth. With her long strands of crimson hair dancing gently in the wind, Ruby's single silver eye stared back at him. He hated how the weight of war and loss filled the orb.

"Hey, Jaune."

Ruby went back to gazing out over the cliff's edge, one gloved finger tracing random designs into the soft dirt.

"Ruby, what're you doing here?" Jaune asked softly. He let the deer slide to the ground.

The Last Huntress leaned back, letting her eye drift upwards along the sky as it dimmed from the bloody crimson of the sun to the deeper indigo of the coming night. "Felt like visiting them. I don't normally come out here when I stop by."

She paused suddenly, eye glancing at the blade. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Three years and four months," Jaune said instantly. The number was burned into his mind, slowly increasing with each cycle of the shattered moon. It was hard for him not to count the days since the moment everything truly went to hell.

"Is it sad that I can't remember?" Ruby asked, more to herself than Jaune. Survival on any of the main continents meant fighting and running from Grimm from dawn to dusk. Days blurred together into one long battle for her own right to to exist. "I feel like it's probably really sad, but I just don't really care."

"To be fair, you've been a little busy," Jaune pointed out.

Ruby laughed once. Jaune hated it. It was empty and angry. No sound like that should ever come from her. "I guess you can call surviving that."

Silence descended on them briefly, only to be broken by Ruby. "Atlas is gone."

The casual admission caught Jaune off guard. He reeled back a step. "What?"

"Yep," Ruby said, her tone unnaturally even, "Someone killed the _mighty_ Lord Schnee. The government fell apart like a house of cards. Grimm horde swarmed the city within a few days. Same thing as Mistral and Beacon, except this time they didn't even need the White Fang to set something off."

She scoffed. "The idiots did it to themselves by starting a civil war."

"When you say someone killed him…?" Jaune trailed off, swallowing hesitantly. The question hung in the air.

"Wasn't me," Ruby said, before muttering under her breath, "Can't totally say I didn't think about it a lot though."

"Then who…?"

"Emerald. Emerald Sustrai. She wanted revenge after what they did to Blake," Ruby said with the same flat voice. She still hadn't figured out how she felt about the green haired girl. "Guess she decided that massacring a city was good enough for payback."

And now the girl was dead for it. No one had made it out of Atlas before the Creatures of Grimm razed it to the ground. It was just another mass graveyard, exactly like all the other ruined cities that dotted the surface of Remnant.

"So, once you heard about Atlas," Jaune said slowly, puzzling out her thoughts, "You wanted to come visit her."

Ruby stilled. She nodded jerkily.

Without another word, Jaune walked up to his oldest, and only, living friend. She patted the grass beside her, and with a grunt he settled onto the dirt. Ruby nudged her shoulder against his, bumping his woolen cloak and rough, leather jacket with the shoulder plate of her armor.

Just like when they were still a pair stupid, naive teenagers who thought they could change the world. A tiny smile broke Jaune's lips.

"I come out to visit a lot. Maybe every couple weeks," he said, nodding to the twin gravestones, "Just to talk to them, maybe clean off Summer's marker as best I can. I don't have to do much for Myrtenaster though, not since you… well…"

He waved a hand at the crystalline sword, letting the gesture explain what he still couldn't fully wrap his head around. Supernatural powers weren't his area of expertise. Watching his last friend on Remnant, in a fit of grief and rage, plunge a blade encased in permanent ice into a cliff? Definitely not his area, at all.

"It still looks exactly like it did the day you made it. I don't really have to do much," Jaune finished lamely. A gloved hand found its way into his, clasping his calloused fingers.

"Thanks, Jaune," Ruby said softly, "It means a lot. I wish I could be back here more."

"You could." It took Jaune a moment to realize he'd spoken the thought out loud. He hesitated when Ruby turned to him, but plowed forward. "You could stay here this time."

Her silver-eyed gaze locked onto him, unblinking. He stared back, trying to wordlessly push her to finally accept his offer. He saw Ruby waver for a moment, just a brief second of indecision only betrayed by the tenseness in her fingers and lips.

Then she broke her gaze, looking back out towards the sun as it started to sink behind the mountains on the distance.

"You know I can't."

Jaune sighed. He'd lost again.

"Besides, I don't think a Huntress field operative would fit well into your little village. Learning a hundred ways to kill someone with a spoon doesn't really help make new friends," she said with a depreciating chuckle. "Speaking of that, how did no one recognize _you_ when you first showed up?"

Jaune rubbed a hand along the back of his sunburnt neck. "Patch has always been pretty isolated, you remember that right?"

Ruby nodded. Despite being visible from the mainland and still a part of Vale's territory, at least when governments still mattered, with no direct route to the continent besides boats and ferries Patch had grown to effectively develop as its own mini-state. More a protectorate of Vale, if her vague memories of history lessons were still accurate.

Jaune ran his thumb along the rough material of Ruby's glove. "It's only gotten worse during the war. With the CCT's down since Beacon fell, the only communication they've gotten is word of mouth for the past decade or so. The people who stayed here, they're really ignorant. They don't understand how bad things got."

"Don't get me wrong, they aren't stupid," Jaune clarified. "They noticed when the Grimm started spawning more and more often. And they got occasional stories from refugees about the wars heroes."

"Of course they heard about Commander Jaune Arc," the Last Huntsman growled, bitterness drifting into his voice. Ruby's grip tightened. "Who hasn't heard of the great Shield of Remnant?"

"Jaune," Ruby said hesitantly, her free hand coming to rest on his forearm.

He's one of the war's heroes, after all," Jaune continued over her. His tone dropped, devoid of emotion. But a telltale muscle in his jaw still trembled betraying the swirling storm just below the surface. "But no CCT means no pictures or videos. They don't know what Jaune Arc looks like."

"So no one paid attention when Jaune _Nikos_ washed up half dead on the beach three years ago."

A moment of silence.

"You never told me you took her name," Ruby said.

Jaune shrugged his shoulders. "It never came up. You'd always catch me out on a hunt or show up in the middle of the night. Beside, you never asked."

"The people here didn't really have a reason to ask questions either," Jaune admitted, running his fingers through his dirty hair. "It was right after the Grimm really started spawning all over the place. So they weren't exactly picky. Patch needed a trained Huntsman and I needed a place to disappear after New Menagerie."

He laughed. Once. It was painfully hollow, even to his own ears. "Heck, they didn't even know about the massacre or the last few years of the war there until I told them. It's all just a bunch stories to them out here."

The blonde waved his hand at the both of them as well as the gravestones. "The Crimson Reaper, the Ice Queen, the Shield of Remnant. We're all just fairy tales and legends with ridiculous sounding names to them."

Jaune cursed when Ruby flinched at his words, jerking her hand away and curling into a ball with her hands wrapped around her knees again. "Ruby, I'm sorry. I didn't think-"

"It's fine." Her response, short and cold, hit Jaune harder than any angry words she might have said instead.

"I'm really sorry. I know it bothers you and I should've shut-"

"I said it's fine."

White fingers of frost crept over the grass beneath Ruby. Jaune clamped his mouth shut as she glanced at him, her eye dancing with silver fire that dared him to continue. A bead of warm sweat trailed down his neck as the trees behind the cliff edge seemed to loom further over him.

Of course, in classic fashion, Jaune ignored all the danger signs and plowed ahead. "Ruby, you gotta' stop doing this to yourself."

Ruby's eye narrowed. She stood abruptly. A cold gust of wind wrapping around them as she stepped to the crystal rapier, poking at it with a finger. "Doing what?"

Jaune worked his way to his feet as well. He reached to put a calming hand on Ruby's shoulder, but jerked to a halt. Her long, dark crimson hair shone brilliant, heart-stopping red in the last ray of the sunset.

' _Hello again!'_

He blinked rapidly.

Swallowing against a suddenly dry throat, Jaune rooted himself firmly in the present. He spoke quietly, but with as much conviction as he could. "You have to stop blaming yourself for what happened. It wasn't your fault."

"How?" Ruby's voice cracked. She spun to face him again, angry and pleading. "How is it not my fault!?"

"You did what you had to," Jaune said, keeping his voice level. "You followed orders and you finished the mission."

"Yeah, just like a good little toy soldier," Ruby spat back, her eye flashing furious red. "That's all any of us were. Just line us up and we'll kill everything in our way."

The blond kept his breathing even and steady in an effort to prevent himself from screaming. He wasn't sure whether it would've been from frustration or sadness. But that's not what Ruby needed right now. "It's what she would've wanted."

"You don't know that!" Tears welled up beneath Ruby's bloodshot eye.

Jaune sighed, rubbing his brow. "Ruby, I'm sorry, but Weiss wouldn't have wanted you to blame yourself."

"Don't, Jaune," Ruby choked out, closing her eye, "Just. Don't."

The sun slipped fully behind the mountain, shrouding it in an ethereal glow. The forest rustled and swayed as the night air swept in, the sky darkening rapidly as the first stars poked through. Tiny pinpricks of light that dotted the void like sparkling embers.

Jaune and Ruby stood motionless. Finally, Ruby whispered, "Do you still blame yourself for not saving Pyrrha?"

Silence. The blond Huntsman nodded jerkily.

"Then how can you possibly expect me to _not_ blame myself?" she asked with a tiny, desolate smile.

Hurt ached in his chest at that pained grin. Jaune's eyes dropped to the ground as he clutched at his arm. "You're right. I'm… I'm sorry."

He turned back to his deer, purposely avoiding looking anywhere near Ruby. "You didn't come here to fight, you came to visit them. I'll just get out of here. Before I make things worse with my big, idiot mouth."

Kneeling, he started to haul the carcass back over his shoulders when something hit his back. Rose petals swirled around him as a pair of arms clung to his torso. Muffled as they were by his wool cloak, he could still just make out Ruby saying, "I'm sorry too."

"Well, we're just a pair of idiots, aren't we?" Jaune said, chuckling despite himself.

"We always were," Ruby pointed out. "And I didn't come all the way to Patch just to visit them, you know."

Jaune cast a quirked eyebrow glance over his shoulder at the red clad Huntress suctioned to his back. He shifted, nudging the uncomfortable tip of her chestplate away from his spine. "You didn't?"

"I came to see you, too," she said, resting her chin on his shoulder. She poked him on the nose. "You're my only other friend besides Crescent Rose. Course I wanna' see you, ya' dummy."

"So in that case," Jaune said, "I know you don't want to stay, but would you mind escorting a poor hunter back to his village? I can cook you a nice, hot meal as a trade."

"Ooh, haven't had one of those in a while," Ruby admitted absently. "Go on, I'm listening."

"Fresh venison," he shook the deer's leg, "And they started harvesting the crops yesterday, so fresh veggies. Oh, and the best thing yet."

"What?"

Jaune smiled conspiratorially. "Fresh milk. Straight from the udder."

"Sold," Ruby said with a matching smile. "You bought yourself an escort, sir. Let me just say goodbye and we'll head out."

"Sure, Rubes," Jaune said softly, "Take your time."

The pressure on his back vanished, the familiar smell of roses whirling around him. Jaune made a show of busying himself with the deer, offering Ruby a bit of privacy.

Ruby knelt before the two graves, so dissimilar but equally as important. She brushed her fingertips against the carved rose and her mother's name, trying to memorize the bumps and grains in the stone.

"Bye Mom. Make sure you take good care of Weiss, Blake and Dad for me. Don't forget to keep Yang in line. She's a handful, but you know that," Ruby said. She pursed her lips. "Oh, and do me a favor and slap my father upside the head."

She pressed her two fingers to her lips, placing them gently in the center of her mother's emblem. "I love you all so much. I'm sorry."

Ruby stood, brushing off her legs. Leaning over, she placed a soft kiss on the tip of Myrtenaster's hilt, whispering softly, "I'll see you soon, Snow Angel."

Without another word, her heart set, Ruby walked away from the graves and back to Jaune. He perked up as she strode up to him, lifting the deer onto his back.

"You ready?" He asked. Ruby nodded.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's go." The two Hunters headed back into the forest, crunching the orange and brown leaves underfoot. "So, what's on the menu for tonight?"

"Hmm," Jaune scratched his chin, "I'm thinking… Deer-Kabobs."

Ruby gave Jaune a look. "Deer what now?"

"Deer shish kabobs. All fresh ingredients roasted over an open fire to perfection. So the meat practically melts in your mouth," Jaune explained. He smirked as he caught Ruby licking her lips. "It's a Jaune specialty. Ladies love it."

Ruby snorted. "Do they?"

"I'm hoping one in particular might."

Ruby shook her head, grinning at him. One that even reached her eye, making the silver swirl and dance enchantingly. The first real smile Jaune had seen from her all night. "We'll see about that. C'mon, Vomit Boy. You have a dinner to cook for me."

* * *

Weiss' name fluttered from Ruby's lips in barely a whisper as her eye snapped open. She slowed her breathing, trying to forget the feeling of white hair and crimson blood covering her arms.

Ruby slipped silently out from under the sheets, moonlight shining on her skin and across Jaune's bare back. She froze as the former Commander shifted in his sleep. He grumbled softly, the wide scars on his shoulders and back stretching across his tanned skin. Despite his semblance and raw strength of Aura, he was still mortal. Even the strongest shields could still be scratched and pitted.

He groaned again, barely audible. "Pyr…"

Ruby glanced down at her own body, still halfway covered in the moonlight. Her paler complexion made every single one of the scars crisscrossing her arms, legs and stomach stand out in angry red and purple hues. A finger lightly traced the puckered trio of precision marks scattered around her heart, never quite close enough to risk piercing the delicate organ.

Her own back was free of any blemishes, but that was only because no one could catch her the moment she turned to run. She would gladly embrace the blond knight's scars as her own if it meant he would never be bothered by the pain.

Idly, Ruby wondered which of their hearts was more twisted and scarred.

With a shake of her head, she dispelled that train of thought. Gliding soundlessly to the far side of Jaune's hut, Ruby pulled her clothes on quickly and quietly before beginning to reassemble her custom designed armor.

She snapped the chest plate into place when a sleepy voice interrupted her routine. "Ruby…?"

The Huntress winced and looked back to the bed.

Jaune peered at her drowsily, trying to make out more than the single silver orb glinting in the light. It hung in the darkness of his single room home like an unshattered moon.

"Go back to sleep, Jaune," she said softly. She turned away, sliding her armguards on and strapping them in place.

"What're you doing?" he asked, his voice growing stronger by the second. A flare of orange light filled the interior of the hut, emanating from a freshly lit candle on the bedside stand.

She stayed silent as she pulled on the last of her body armor. A quick flick of her fingers activated the Dust powered electronics with a barely audible hum.

"You're leaving again," Jaune stated. She nodded. With a flick of her wrist, Crescent Rose rocketed from its place on the floor into her waiting hands.

"You weren't even going to wake me up this time, were you?"

While his tone might have been deceptively mild, the not so subtle accusation rang loud and clear in the midnight silence. Ruby took a long breath, calming her own emotions. She wrapped her precious cloak around her shoulders, clasping it at her neck.

"I have to go," she said, finally forcing herself to look back at his stormy blue eyes. The hurt and anger living there drove a cold stake into her heart. Raw power danced beneath her fingertips, begging to be released.

Good. She'd need that power soon enough.

"Why?" Trust Jaune Arc not to mince words. He only wanted answers, answers he'd been denied for so long.

Unfortunately, this wasn't something Ruby had the time or ability to fully explain. Not in a way that would make sense. "There's something I still have to do."

The words sparked a fire in Jaune, one that had been building fuel since the they'd both gone their separate ways in order to survive after the battle at New Menagerie.

He sat up fully, sliding a pair of trousers over his legs. Shifting positions, the blond rested his feet on the cold wood floor with the blanket wadded at his waist. He glared at her from across the room.

"What could you possibly have left to do, Ruby?" He said angrily, "Why are you still going out there? The war is _over_. And guess what, we lost it!"

He stabbed a finger at the window, in the direction of mainland Vale. "All that's out there are Grimm and worse. Everything on Remnant either wants to kill you for being human or for being _you_. You going back out there over and over, again and again, is just going to end up getting you killed!"

His final words exploded from his throat in at a yell, one made up of months if not years of building pressure. It echoed loudly in the sudden, absolute silence that followed. Jaune grit his teeth and stared out the window, towards the partially shattered face of the moon. Anywhere except the resigned expression that descended on Ruby's face.

"The war's not over yet," Ruby said with a sad smile, "Not while I'm still breathing."

Jaune stood suddenly, chest bare and scars uncovered. His eyes blazed in the dim light as he strode to the crimson Huntress, muscles tensed. "Damn it, Ruby!"

He grabbed her by the shoulders, as if to shake some sense into her, only to stop abruptly. His iron fingers wrapped around her skin and holding her tight. "This isn't one of your fairy tales! There's no happy ending here."

Ruby shook her head, "That's not true. And even if I did believe that, it still doesn't change anything."

"Why?!"

His voice cracked as he begged for an answer that might provide some measure of understanding to something so incredibly incomprehensible to him. Ruby wished she had such an answer to satisfy him.

"Because I wouldn't be me if I didn't keep trying."

"We did try! We tried to make the world a better place," he snarled. Ruby noticed his hands were shaking. "And we failed! We screwed up, and we paid for it. Now what? All the people I care about are dead and gone!"

And then the fire in Jaune withered and died. The man shrank in on himself as his blue eyes dulled. The raging knight crumpled, his body sagged and his shoulders slumped over. Only his hands stayed as they were, still clinging tightly to Ruby.

"Everyone except you," he whispered, eyes downcast. "I can't lose you too." Tiny, little drops of liquid crystal dripped down his cheeks, glistening in the moon. "Not like Pyrrha."

A small hand cupped his chin, lifting his head. A single, sympathetic silver eye gazed into Jaune's bloodshot ones. Molten quiksilver swirling around and around. For a brief moment, the former Commander let himself believe she actually might stay.

"They're still hunting me, Jaune."

Jaune's heart froze. More tears sprung unbidden. He bit back a sob. Ruby's finger wiped a single tear away, holding the droplet before his eyes.

"While I still have all these stupid powers…" The tear frosted over, crystallizing into a perfect bead of ice. "...Then the Grimm will keep coming after me. She can't stand to let me live. I'm a veteran Huntress and a Winter Maiden. One of Ozpin's 'guardians'. They have to kill me before it's really over."

Ruby's hand dropped, letting the frozen teardrop fall and shatter on the floor. "It's not just the Grimm either. I was still at the top of the kill-on-sight list for Atlas. Every single working Atlesian Knight is still searching for me. And there's no one left to call them off."

She smiled sadly again. "So even if I stayed, I'd end up bringing a bunch of trigger happy androids to the village."

"We could fight them. Together." Jaune pleaded, his throat thick and scratchy. Ruby only shook her head.

"We both know that death likes to follow right behind me. I'm not bringing that to your village," Ruby said. "This time, I'm going to meet death head on."

The Last Huntress gently eased Jaune's hands from her shoulders, holding them in both of hers. Her skin, chilly and electrifying, made Jaune's fingers tingle. "She's here, Jaune."

Seeing his bewildered look, Ruby clarified. "Salem. She's in Vale."

"How do you know…?"

"I can feel her, somehow. Just like I can feel you now." Ruby explained, closing her eyes and concentrating on the feeling. "You're white, and warm, and tired. She's different. It's black, and angry, and painful. But it's definitely her."

"And you're going to go after her?" Jaune asked, disbelievingly.

Ruby shrugged. "It's why I'm here, really. I wish it'd just been for a visit."

The look, the sadness and resignation that'd been sitting in her voice and her expression, registered fully in Jaune's mind as the final connection clicked into place. "You came to say goodbye…"

"You're scary good at reading me," Ruby sighed, letting the smile drop from her face.

Jaune's jaw opened and closed silently as he tried to force something, anything past his thick tongue. She couldn't be serious. "No…"

Ruby raised a questioning eyebrow. "What?"

"No," Jaune repeated, stronger and firmer. "No. That's suicide, Ruby."

"Probably."

Her casual dismissal shook Jaune to his very core. He stood up straight, his fists balled and his tone hard. "No. I won't let you go. I'm not letting you just walk into that."

"This is why I wasn't going to wake you up, you know," Ruby said with a forced casualness.

"This isn't a game, Ruby!" Jaune snarled, his gestures jerky, "You've seen how powerful Salem is. You can't stop that!"

Ruby stepped forward suddenly, placing the flat of her palm against Jaune's chest. The man's eyes widened as iridescent flames of dazzling silver drifted from Ruby's single eye. A cold gust kicked up within the house itself, surrounding the pair of Hunters with snow and ice. The candle on the bedstand blazed brighter as dark clouds blotted out the moon.

"You haven't seen how powerful I am," Ruby said, still holding onto the same forced lightness but now with an icy cold stare. "This stuff is easier, stronger, since Menagerie. I came close then."

"You're still human," Jaune shot back, "She's not."

"Human, Grimm. Doesn't matter. I know how to kill both," Ruby said, the chill in her gaze finally slipping into her voice. "I have to do something."

"Why? Why you?"

"The world's changing out there, Jaune. It's getting darker, more twisted, every single day." Ruby said. The edges of her nail dug into Jaune's skin. "The Grimm are hunting down the last pockets of humanity. Sooner or later, it's going to reach Patch. "

Ruby closed her eyes, and the silver aura faded away. For the first time, Jaune noticed the deep purple bag beneath her eye. "I'm tired of watching my friends die."

"No," Jaune said, shaking his head, "No, I'm still not letting you get yourself killed on some stupid crusade."

He braced his legs, instinctively dropping into a combat position instilled into his muscle memory by years of training and war. "I'll fight you if I have to."

"No, you won't."

A layer of ice wrapped around his feet and climbed up his legs, freezing Jaune in place. Within the blink of an eye, it'd captured his knees and thighs . He tried to struggle out of the bindings, but the ice thickened by the second, leaving him stuck. He even attempted to use Aura to shatter it, but it resisted, dissipating the energy.

Jaune paled in horror as he looked back up at Ruby. She stepped back gingerly, swallowing hard. The utter betrayal displayed on his face forced her to turn away. She walked silently to the exterior door to the small dwelling.

"Ruby," He pleaded, eyes following her every movement, "Please don't do this to me. Please."

She unlatched the door, letting it swing open and expose the autumn night air. Her cloak fluttered in the chilly wind as she shifted Crescent Rose into its scythe form.

She turned back to Jaune, one last time. The raw agony on his face burnt its way into her memory. "Ruby, please. Please don't. Not like this."

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice cracking along with her composure.

Jaune squeezed his eyes shut, unable to watch her vanish. "Ruby…"

The rustle of cloth and the smell of roses hit him like a sledgehammer. His heart hammered painfully against his ribs as he started to sob.

"Ruby!"

A crimson blur raced through the night, blasting past the speed of sound with an ear-shattering crack. She ran, bursting out of the woods and dashing across the water, leaving Patch and Jaune far behind her. Her final words lost to the rushing wind.

* * *

 _See ya' around, Jaune._

Ruby gazed blankly at the medics buzzing about Jaune's seventeen year old body, desperate to stop the rampant bleeding from the massive wound in his chest. The unending, bone shaking rumble of the Bullhead's engines did nothing to drown out the words echoing in her own memories.

 _See ya' around, Jaune_.

Her death grip on Weiss' fingers tightened, both of their hands slick with blood and Grimm ichor. She sat limply on one of the main compartment's canvas seats, jostled against her restraints as the airship rocketed back towards Beacon.

Silver eyes jumped from Jaune's pale face to the sluggish heartbeat monitor and back, over and over again as the Bullhead's interior shone with the light of transferred Aura. Disjointed words and phrases reached her ears. 'Aura', 'Not working', and 'bleeding out'.

It was her fault. Her teeth ground against each other. She should've killed the Griffon at the start. She should've been more ready, more cautious.

One of the medics pulled a clear plastic bag filled with liquid from his supplies, snapping it to a hook above Jaune's stretcher. Another quickly inserted a catheter into the vein on the blond boy's arm. Moments later, a fresh flow of saline rushed into his bloodstream, trying to make up for the blood gushing at an alarming rate from his chest.

 _See ya' around, Jaune._

A figure with fox ears stepped in front of Ruby, blocking her view of Jaune.

"Let's get that cut cleaned up, miss." The Faunus woman lifted a plastic bottle and a length of gauze.

The smell of blood and matted fur clogged her nose. Her body ached. Adrenaline spiked.

Ruby reared back, snarling wordlessly at the medic Huntress. Her eyes flashed a dangerous crimson.

"Easy, sweetheart!" The medic pulled her hands away, but held her ground. "You can relax, you're safe."

"Don't touch me," Ruby growled gutturally. One hand left Weiss' to scramble for Crescent Rose, nigh unreachable with her back pressed into the jumper seat.

"Agate," The Faunus turned to the rest of her team, "This one's still in fight or flight mode. Toss me a sedative."

At the word 'sedative', Ruby exploded. Swearing long and loudly as she strained against the seat's straps, both arms flailing towards the medic wildly. Incomprehensible gibberish mixed with curses and spittle flew from her lips. Rime grew over the metal seat frame.

"Give me those, you idiot." A pair of pale hands plucked the bottle and gauze out of the Faunus' hands. "Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Because clearly you don't," Weiss cut the medic off, turning to look at her redheaded partner. Ruby had shrunk down into her seat, glaring at the fox Faunus.

"I mean, surprisingly I have this fancy medical certification that says otherwise," the woman said with no small amount of heat. "Whatever. I don't have time for people like you two. Help yourself, Miss Schnee."

The medic turned away. The moment she stepped towards Ren's unconscious form, Ruby's eyes jumped back to Jaune. She watched his chest rise and fall in short, quick bursts.

"Rose," Weiss said tentatively, No response was forthcoming.

"Ruby?" she asked, finally catching her partner's attention. Angry red eyes snapped to Weiss, causing her to swallow back a burst of nervousness. "Ruby, you need to calm down."

The girl's fiery gaze sat on Weiss for an uncomfortably silent period before returning to Jaune. Frowning, Weiss dropped the gauze in her lap and grabbed her partner by the chin, forcing the younger girl to focus on her. Her pale skin felt like ice.

"Ruby, Jaune is going to be alright. The medics will take care of him. We need to take care of you now."

Another snarl pulled at Ruby's lips, but it died away just as quickly with Weiss' final request. "So, please, just calm down?"

The bubbling crimson drained away, slowly, leaving only an exhausted pair of silver orbs staring into Weiss' pale blue. Those small, bloody hands wrapped around the fingers still holding her chin.

"Weiss," she whispered, "You're okay, right? You're really alive?"

"I'm fine," Weiss reassured her. She raised the bottle of saline to the bloody tear across Ruby's face with a shuddering breath. "Hold still."

Ruby sat as still as a statue while Weiss rinsed the gash, flushing it clean of blood, dirt, and ash.. Silver stared unblinkingly at her. "You're really real? I'm not dreaming?"

Weiss worried at her lip with her teeth. Aura exhaustion apparently threw her partner into an almost drunken state. "No Ruby, you're not dreaming."

Ruby's body went limp, catching Weiss off guard. The younger girl slumped against the canvas seat as every tensed muscle suddenly relaxed all at once. Only her fingers remained, tightly wrapped around the Heiress' hand.

Narrowed pale blue eyes roamed over the crimson Huntress in training. Ruby seemed, different somehow. Diminished.

Great, more questions.

"Careful, dolt," she snapped, "Stop moving. I'm trying to clean this! Unless you want me just jabbing things into your face?"

A feeble chuckled answered the Heiress instead of the frightened desire to obey she expected. Weiss wasn't sure whether she should be frustrated by that, or simply confused. That feeling seemed to be the driving force behind each and every one of her interactions with her new partner.

So this was par for the course at this point, it seemed.

"There," she declared, grabbing the gauze and wrapping it around Ruby's head. It took a few twists to cover the entire gash without hiding those silver eyes and the white material stood out starkly against her dark hair. "Keep that covered until the we get you in front of a real doctor."

Weiss ignored the way the fox Faunus bristled at her comment as she treated the tall, dark haired boy.

She also tried, and failed, to ignore the crimson clad head that rested gently on her shoulder. Warm breath glided along the back of her neck.

The Heiress sat stock straight in her seat as Ruby _nuzzled_ her shoulder with a mumbled "Thanks, Weiss. You're always the best."

For a moment, to Ruby, all seemed okay in the world.

Then thin fingers forcefully lifted Ruby's head back up, keen eyes cataloguing the unexpected flash of something deep in the silver. The Heiress muttered something inaudible, turning away from her partner and staring pointedly out the window.

Ruby blinked, taking a deep breath to help assuage the knife suddenly buried in her chest. She moved her lips silently before gritting her teeth. Aching emptiness hit her sharply, alongside the familiar flavor of guilt.

The point was abundantly clear. This still wasn't _her_ Weiss.

Pale blue eyes watched discreetly. Weiss noticed a hard edge return to Ruby's gaze. The crimson girl sat up straighter, her muscles coiled and ready to spring into action again.

Ruby went back to staring at Jaune's heart rate monitor. Watching each rise and fall of his chest. It distracted her from the tightness in her chest. Each beep was heavenly to her ears, reassuring her that her oldest friend was still fighting.

But the beeps were coming faster now.

Ruby's pulse quickened with the heart rate monitor. The beats came rapidfire, skyrocketing to an insane rate. Ruby's hands clenched around the seat frame.

"Shit, we're losing him!" One of the medics shouted towards the cockpit of the Bullhead. "How long until we reach Beacon?"

The fox Faunus leapt beside Jaune, energy pouring from her hands into his body, "Aura's still having no effect. He's gonna' flatline!"

"We're coming in now," came the pilot's response. Ruby felt the airship tilting at an extreme angle and her stomach leapt into her throat. "It's going to be a bumpy landing, so brace yourselves."

The heart monitor squealed a long, solid note. The air caught in Ruby's lungs.

"He's flatlining!" The Faunus medic screamed.

Weiss watched wide eyed as the medics worked feverishly to keep the blond boy alive. Beside her, Ruby breathed softly. "Jaune…"

"Zapping him!" Lightning crackled from the Faunus' hands, arcing diagonally across Jaune's chest. The boy's body spasmed and jerked, rapid beeps suddenly blaring from the heart rate monitor again.

"We need to get him in an OR now!"

"We're hitting the pad in three," the pilot shouted, his voice crackling over the ship's internal speakers. "Two. One. Touchdown!"

The entire ship shook, jostling the passengers back and forth. The side doors popped open with a bang. Super heated air, exhaust, and blinding sunlight rushed inside, filling Ruby's nose and burning her eyes.

"Move! Critical casualty, make a hole!"

The medics lifted Jaune's gurney and burst from the Bullhead, rolling him at a dead run towards the rising towers of Beacon at the far side of the landing pads. A detached part of Ruby's mind took absent notice of the trail of splattered red that followed their path.

The rest of her frantically struggled with her seat harness. She wanted, _needed_ , to follow Jaune.

Ren stirred as a pair of nurses from Beacon's combat hospital arrived with an empty gurney. Weiss watched from her seat as they carefully extracted the boy from the Bullhead and wheeled him off at a brisk pace. Meanwhile her partner finally released the seat buckles. They snapped apart and clattered to the side.

Hauling herself up, Ruby stumbled to the edge of the aircraft and dropped to the ground. Her boots landed and her legs buckled, sending her sprawling onto her hands and knees. She caught herself only just before smashing into the metal plates of Beacon's Docks.

Needle of icy fire traveled up and down her flesh, stabbing down to her very bones. Ruby felt heavy, weighed down by her own body and lacking the energy to even attempt to stand. Aura exhaustion.

She looked up, squinting past the sunlight. The horizon and Beacon's soaring heights danced before her, swaying back and forth. And directly in front of her stood a crowd of hazy figures, whispering and muttering.

The click of heels on stone announced Weiss landing next to her. A hand grabbed Ruby under her arm and lifted her up, setting her on her feet. Weiss' face swam into focus, her gaze still looking anywhere but at Ruby herself.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah," Ruby croaked past a raspy throat. She stumbled slightly when Weiss' support vanished, but the crimson Huntress held herself upright. Momentarily. Then her legs started to crumble again. Weiss' arm wrapped around her waist, and not a moment too soon.

"Or maybe not," Ruby admitted, blinking in bemusement.

"Hmph. Put your weight on my arm," Weiss ordered. "Now use your scythe as a crutch."

Leaning into Weiss' touch a bit more than was strictly necessary, Ruby extended Crescent Rose and let her hilt smack into surface of the Dock with a loud clang. The quiet rumblings of the crowd fell silent as the broken scythe blade glinted in the sun.

"Better?" Weiss' asked. Ruby nodded.

"Better."

"Good. I will not have my partner appear weak. Huntresses stand tall, and so will we," Weiss said, her cold eyes sweeping over the throng of people before them. They all broke before her gaze, shuffling awkwardly in place.

As much as she wanted to stay in Weiss' arms, Ruby knew she couldn't. She started limping across the Docks towards Beacon, clutching her scythe with a trembling hand.

"And where are you going?"

"Jaune," Ruby said flatly, gritting her teeth as pain ripped through her muscles. They begged her to stop, to rest and recover. She disagreed. She was a Huntress. The Last Huntress. She was better than this.

"No, absolutely not," Clacking heels followed behind her. A hand snagged her cloak. "You're in no condition to be running around. You've overstrained your Aura. We need to get you in front of a doctor."

"I'm fine." A blatant lie. Darkness flickered at the edge of her vision, unconsciousness teasing at her mind again. "Or, I've been worse at least."

The grip on her cloak tugged her to the side, spinning her. Ruby hissed as she struggled to stay standing. "There's nothing else you can do, Rose."

"I don't care." Silver eyes glanced at the Heiress' hand clenched in crimson fabric. "Let go."

Weiss scowled, dropping the trailing edge of the cloak and crossing her arms. "You've done the best you can, everything you could possibly have done for him."

"My best isn't good enough." She was a soldier. She had all these memories of a past life. So why couldn't she keep her friends safe?

"You're dead on your feet, Rose. Why are you being so insufferably stubborn about this?"

 _See ya' around, Jaune_

Ruby met Weiss' eyes, dull silver to frustrated blue. "I'm tired of watching people die because of stupid mistakes."

Weiss jerked back as if she'd been slapped, eyes going wide. She shivered. Ruby spoke so calmly, with her voice completely level. Nothing betrayed a single drop of emotion. But her eyes flashed crimson.

"Ruby!"

A mop of blonde hair burst from the crowd, rushing to Ruby and sweeping the small crimson girl into a tight hug. Warmth engulfed her, cradling her in its embrace.

"Thank god you're still okay. They told us someone had been hurt bad, but they couldn't tell us who and you never came back," Yang's words left her in a rush. Her relieved smile dimmed when she saw Ruby's blank stare.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Lavender eyes flicked suspiciously towards Weiss. "Did you do something else to my sister?"

"I- I haven't done anything to her," Weiss stuttered. She glanced at Ruby's face before looking away, her face paler than Ruby had ever seen.

"Right," Yang drew out the word. "And Grimm are lovable cuddle monsters."

"Yang, please," Pyrrha's voice broke in, "Now is not the time to fight. We're all friends."

Yang held eye contact with Weiss a moment longer before breaking the stare with a shrug.

"Fine, whatever ya' say, Superstar," Yang said. "Wouldn't say I'm her friend though…"

Yang's grip around Ruby loosened just enough for her to see Pyrrha's dust covered face, her eyes brimming with blatant concern. "Ruby, did you find Jaune and Ren?"

Ruby worked her jaw, searching for the words to explain. She glanced back at the landing Bullhead, the metal floor splattered with rusty crimson.

It reminded her when she first really spoke with Jaune after Pyrrha died the last time around. She stammered and stuttered apologies before finally bursting into tears and hugging the desolate blond boy.

"Ren's okay," Ruby said. She blinked, surprised at her the steadiness of her own voice.

"And Jaune?" Her words did nothing to stem the mounting fear in the Mistrali champion.

Ruby opened her mouth, unsure what to start with. She swallowed hard. Pyrrha's eyes widened as she brought a hand to her lips.

 _See ya' around, Jaune._

"Pyrrha, Arc- Uh, Jaune," Weiss stepped in, speaking hesitantly. She looked just as lost for words. "He was… It's not good… He's-"

"Jaune's going to be fine."

Weiss' head snapped around. She stared at her partner, with equal parts guilt and pity. "Rose, he was _impaled_."

Pyrrha whimpered. The Heiress glanced at her quickly, shame written across her face.

"He'll be fine. He can survive worse."

Well, that wasn't a strange thing to say at all. A small hand tightened around Crescent Rose as Weiss' eyes narrowed. Lack of aura made her delirious.

The look Yang gave her was even stranger, though. Ruby frowned at the morose pity displayed on her sister's face. Those lavender eyes gazed down at her, the smallest hint of tears gathering in their corners.

The crimson Huntress found her face pressed into Yang's chest as the blonde pulled her into the tightest hug she could remember.

"Ruby." Her sister's voice rumbled in her ear, each word slow and pronounced. "Remember. This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault."

Working her way out of Yang's arms, Ruby stood in front of her with a blank expression plastered across her face. "Yes, it is."

Then she turned and started her slow, limping march towards Beacon. The crowd parted before her and her enormous blade.

Ruby made it maybe a dozen steps when her knees gave out again. She collapsed onto the stone walkway, the world spinning wildly. She tasted blood on her tongue.

"Ruby!" Yang and Weiss shouted nearly in perfect sync. A wordless scream rang in her ears, not her own, and echoed painfully around her skull. Her body was too tired to do more than grunt as her face pressed hard into the stone. Tingling ran up and down her limbs.

Aura exhaustion really sucked, Ruby decided.

* * *

" _Take heed. There will be no victory in strength."_

The same visions. Repeated, over and over. He searched for some missed clue.

" _But perhaps victory is in the simpler things that you've long forgotten. Things that require a smaller, more honest soul."_

The words fell from his lips automatically, spoken a thousands times. But this time, something changed. Pale lips quirked into a dark smile.

" _An honest soul…"_

A chuckle escaped into the void.

" _Just as the brightest light will dim and fade, even the purest souls can be stained and shattered."_

Gleaming eyes narrowed.

" _Remember that, Ozpin, while you cling to your_ _ **precious**_ _little soul."_

"Ozpin? Professor Ozpin?"

Brown eyes snapped open and the trance faded away. Gray brows met in a deep frown. Leaning forwards in his chair, the Headmaster of Beacon steepled his hands before him. The rules of the game had been altered.

"Yes, Glynda?"

His normally stern second in command examined him with a rare concerned expression. After a moment of uncertainty, she donned her professional demeanor and looked down at the Scroll in her hand.

"The last of the prospective students have been evacuated to Beacon. The eight from the center of the combat zone," Glynda scanned down the list, "One in critical condition, three others requiring immediate medical attention. The rest need to be treated for Aura depletion and various non life threatening injuries."

She looked up from the Scroll, her furious emerald glare piercing the Headmaster. "I still disagree with this, Ozpin."

"Yes, you've definitely made your opinion on the matter quite clear," Ozpin said mildly.

"Eight children, not even officially students, against an Elder class Grimm with previously unknown abilities and a horde of the normal monsters," Glynda huffed. With a swipe of her hand, video recordings of the battle by the temple appeared floating over Ozpin's desk. "They were not prepared for this, Ozpin."

"That is undoubtedly true," the gray haired Headmaster responded slowly, his attention jumping from recording to recording.

"Yet instead of sending in reinforcements, we evacuate all the others first and these eight last." She looked at her superior expectantly.

Ozpin only nodded.

Glynda took a deep breath, pinching her brow. "I've never questioned your decisions, Ozpin, and I still trust you to lead us. But please, tell me why?"

Ozpin stared at the semi-translucent videos, watching his newest students fight for their lives. The soft ticking of the clocks filled his office and counted the seconds. The man weighed his choices while Glynda waited out the silence impatiently.

"Because sending additional Hunters would only have resulted in _additional_ casualties." Ozpin finally explained, his gaze watching a particular red and black blur dancing across the battlefield.

"What was to stop the horde from killing any help we sent? Or if we were able to extract the children, what would draw the Griffon's attention away from the other students? Or worse, Beacon or even Vale itself?"

"You're saying this was the right decision?" Glynda asked, so taken aback that her tone lacked the fire Ozpin expected.

"No, this was not the right decision. Or even the best possible decision." He waved a hand at the eight Huntsman and Huntresses they had been watching closely since the start of the morning. "This was simply the decision that cost the fewest lives."

The Professor sat back in his chair. To Glynda, he seemed to age millennia in mere moments, resting in the shadows of clock gears rotating overhead. Tired eyes locked onto her.

"I made a judgement call, Glynda. Placed my faith in the long shot, if you will."

"And did it pay off?" Glynda asked.

"That remains to be seen." The Headmaster stood, collecting his cane and making his way around his desk. One eyebrow quirked at the surprised look on his deputy's face. "I am constantly reminded that I am just a man, my dear. I am not above making mistakes."

He entered the elevator, Glynda following at his heels. The doors slid shut with a muted ding.

"I just hope this does not turn out to be one," Ozpin finished softly.

* * *

Pleasant warmth suffused Ruby's body, a steady flow of Aura gently invigorating and refilling her own soul's nearly drained supply. Between that and the delightful numbness brought on by the IV hooked up to her arm, and Ruby could almost forget the burning itch crawling across her face.

Almost. She squirmed, her hands clutching at the hospital sheets beneath her lest she draw her fingernails over her temple and cheek in a desperate attempt to placate the itchiness.

It didn't help that she lacked the familiar weight of her boots, cloak or scythe. The things she normally used for comfort. Crescent Rose leaned against the side of the bed along with her boots, while Yang held onto her folded cloak.

Ruby twitched at the strange feeling of metal sticking into her arm. The surgeon had sheared off half her sleeve to allow the IV access to her veins and she was acutely aware of the chilled touch of air on disinfected skin.

"Please, avoid all this fidgeting while I'm healing you," The surgeon working on her ordered, lifting his glowing hands back. Ruby sighed as the itchy feeling lessened. "I understand it can be unpleasant, but deep facial wounds are especially difficult. One wrong jerk, and you might end up smelling colors."

Ruby blinked. "Is that a joke, or…?"

"Not at all," the man said, lowering his hands to the last section of gash slicing through her right eyebrow and over the edge of her temple. "So please, hold still. It'll be just another moment."

"Got it." Ruby even went as far as holding her breath as the surgeon finished pouring Aura into the wound. "Holding still."

"... Miss, you can still breathe."

Ruby expelled the air from her lungs in one burst. "I mean, you said hold still."

"I'm not even sure why I try," he mumbled to himself. Aura surged into Ruby's skin. It was rather unnerving, feeling her own flesh knitting itself back together. "There we go. Done."

He picked up a mirror, holding it against his own chest. "Now, before I show you, I want you to understand that this may be very personal. Are you sure you feel comfortable with everyone in the room?"

Ruby glanced between her sister where she stood directly next to Ruby's bed, and Weiss sitting primly in the corner of the room. The former tapped her scratched fingers anxiously against her arms, while the latter paled and looked away the moment Ruby's gaze drifted towards her.

The Huntress from the future looked back at the surgeon. "These are my sister and my partner. It's fine."

"Are you sure?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. She wouldn't have even cared if Pyrrha was still present, but the redhead shot off in the direction of the waiting room closest to where the doctors' were operating on Jaune after helping carrying Ruby there. Ruby didn't blame her, as woozy as she was. If it had been Weiss, Ruby wouldn't have even walked patiently with them to the emergency hospital on Beacon's campus.

"Look, just show me how bad it is, please?" Ruby said with a sigh.

The man slowly lifted the mirror up to eye level. Steeling herself, Ruby leaned forward.

A thick swath of dark pink ran from just beside her left ear, skimming over the bridge of her nose, and tapered out to a thin point half an inch into her temple hairline. The ugly, ropy tissue shone slightly in the harsh hospital room lighting, contrasting sharply with her pale complexion.

Ruby pursed her lips. As far as scars go, this one wasn't all that bad. Honestly, she considered it a small miracle that she hadn't lost an eye. Again.

That would've been a little frustrating after only enjoying binocular vision for not even twenty four hours.

"I understand it's a lot to take in," the surgeon said, lowering the mirror, "But I do want you to know that many well known and, if I may say so, attractive Huntresses have been scarred during the course of their career. These things are not debilitating-"

"Well duh," Ruby scoffed, hopping off the bed. "It's just a scar."

"Um. Well, yes." The surgeon stared at her. "You're taking this remarkable well, especially for someone your age."

"Again, just a scar," Ruby tapped on the thin tube protruding from her arm. "Wanna' pull this out, doc? I'm feeling a lot better already."

"You're one of those patients, aren't you? The ones that just won't sit still?" He asked with a wry shake of his head. "Your Aura hasn't started regenerating on its own yet. Until then you're stuck here."

"Crap."

"Ruby, it's a big scar," Yang said reiterated, her eyes dancing with red. "A really big scar."

"Ehh," Ruby waved her right hand in the air dismissively, "I've had worse."

"Ruby, the only other scar you have is from when you were four and Zwei accidentally bit your foot," Yang said. A frown crossed the blonde's face.

Ruby froze. "Uh, which, subjectively, was a lot worse."

"It's the size of my pinkie," Yang exclaimed, gesturing towards her little sister's face. "Not… that."

"I was four. It was a very traumatic experience with my puppy. Of course it was worse," Ruby shot back. She turned back to the surgeon. "Can you at least hook me up to a rolling IV? I've got another friend in here, and one way or another I'm going to see him."

"Perhaps I might be some help with that."

Ruby held back a flinch at what had to be absolutely the last person she wanted to speak with or be around. Not yet, at least. Not while she still lacked any plan or idea on how to handle this 'time travel' thing.

"Professor Ozpin, Professor Goodwitch," Weiss greeted the two as they entered. Ruby exhaled heavily.

Dust damn it. Having a minute, even thirty seconds, where she wasn't desperately fighting for everyone's lives before meeting Ozpin would've been enough.

"Hello, Miss Schnee. I'm quite glad to see you and Miss Xiao-Long are relatively unharmed," Ozpin said, tapping his cane idly against the tiled floor.

Weiss' gaze wavered, briefly. "We were… fortunate."

"Indeed," Ozpin said with a light smile. One that seemed to set the Heiress even more on edge.

This was still salvageable, Ruby thought. Just play dumb and innocent, act like a fifteen year old.

"Miss Xiao-Long, I think you'll be happy to know that your partner has been treated." The Headmaster nodded towards Ruby's sister.

"Oh thank god," Yang sighed with relief.

"And you are free to visit her now, if you wish." Ozpin finished.

Yang stilled, biting her lip. "I can't. Not until Ruby's okay."

Perfect. The more people around, the less Ruby would've have to speak directly with Ozpin. So long as she could just avoid the man for a bit, she could come up with an actual plan of action. Then, maybe, she might let Ozpin in on her little secret. If she was in a good mood.

"Actually, as it seems Miss Rose is up and about, I was hoping to speak with her privately for a few moments. There are a few important things for us to discuss."

Or Ozpin could do what he normally did, and blow all her cobbled together plans completely out of the water. Ruby frowned. What 'important things'?

"This will be the perfect opportunity for you to visit Miss Belladonna, and for Miss Schnee to receive treatment for her dangerously low Aura levels," Ozpin sipped from a mug, peering at Weiss. "I'm rather astounded you're still conscious and coherent, Miss Schnee."

"I've trained in worse conditions," Weiss said. Ruby frowned at the offhand comment. She never remembered Weiss mention any training like that in the future.

"Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if you have," Ozpin mumbled. He turned to Ruby. "So, Miss Rose, if you'd come with me to my office? We'll stop by Mr. Arc on the way."

She wanted to say no. She should say no. Her and Ozpin alone was most definitely not going to end well. Without a sliver of a doubt, all she needed to do was to say 'no'.

"Sure, Professor Ozpin," Ruby said.

Between Jaune's well being and her own damn curiosity, Ruby never stood a chance.

* * *

 **Next time on Crimson Memories: Ozpin and Ruby have the most awkward tea party ever.**

 **... You think I'm joking.**

 **This chapter was a strange beast, even in my outlines. I would guess what the reaction might be to the decent length glimpse at what Ruby's rather broken future is, but at this point I've learned not to even try.**

 **We also hit a series of fun numbers for Faves and Follows for the last chapter, mainly 404, 420, and 666. And this entertains me because deep inside I am a small child. Another big round of thanks for those of you who seem to enjoy my literary ramblings, and for those of you who don't but read up to this AN anyone, thank you for at least reading this far.**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	9. Tea with the Mad Hatter

**I did that thing where I miss my self imposed deadline, and then I write more to make up for it, which makes it take longer so I choose to write more to make it worth the wait for you guys and that takes even longer and yeah I screwed up here's a chapter.**

* * *

 **Tea with the Mad Hatter**

* * *

Ruby yanked the the IV rack after her, squeaky wheels echoing strangely in the empty hallway of Beacon's emergency hospital. Her legs wanted to collapse beneath her every few steps but she kept walking, determined to keep up with Ozpin's longer strides.

How did he walk so stupidly fast with a cane, anyway?

"Miss Rose, we can walk slower if you want," Ozpin offered.

Ruby shook her head no, ignoring the drops of perspiration beading along her temple. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. "I'm fine."

"I'd hardly agree with that statement," Ozpin said, brown eyes peering over the rims of his glasses. "Aura depletion will leave you feeling exhausted for days, even after your body starts regenerating aura. It takes time to fully heal."

She was more than familiar with the lingering weariness that stuck with you for hours. The dull spikes of pain that followed the white hot agony when your body tried to draw Aura even if nothing remained. It ate away at muscle and fat, desperate to consume any energy left. Once your body failed, it would start in on your soul.

In short, it was an extremely slow and painful way to die.

"Mr. Arc isn't going anywhere, I promise you that."

Ruby met his stare, her chest heaving much harder than she'd like. Puffs of air escaped her nose as she sucked in air, struggling to slow her breathing. "I wanna' see Jaune."

Ozpin bowed his head and sighed. "As you wish."

The two continued down the hall in silence, their soft footsteps and the rattling IV their only companions.

After a moment, Ruby broke the silence. "So. You said Jaune's not going anywhere?"

Ozpin nodded. "I did say that, yes."

"So does that mean he's gonna' be okay?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Ozpin waved at the nearest door with his cane, a tiny half-grin touching his lips. "Right through here, if you would."

They entered into a small recovery room, lit by the early afternoon sun pouring in through a single window on the back wall. A large, white sheeted bed sat in the center of the room, its lone occupant laying motionless.

He seemed so cold, and dim. A far reach from the comforting warmth she knew. Almost like a fading candle in the wind.

His bare chest rose and fell gently, coaxed along by the oxygen mask covering the boy's face. Fresh bandages covered the former gaping hole in his chest and dark, venous markings spreading from under the white gauze like tiny etched patterns just beneath the surface of his skin.

She stilled, her hands spasming as she stared at the black marks. The IV rack creaked ominously under her enhanced grip as she instinctively channeled aura throughout her body, ignoring the spike of pain that traveled along her arm.

"Ruby?" A tangled mess of brilliant red hair in the corner of Ruby's vision shot to her feet as Ozpin stepped into the room behind her, dragging the time traveler's attention away from Jaune. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor Ozpin, sir."

The Mistrali snapped to attention, back straight, eyes forward, and hands clasped behind her. Ruby bit her lip. Her critical eye roamed over the cuts and burns still covering the other girl's skin and combat uniform.

"At ease, Miss Nikos," Ozpin said. "No need to stand on ceremony for an old man like myself. You've charitably had what could be called an extremely long day. I think you've earned a bit of rest for now. There will be more important things to come."

"Uh, yes sir," Pyrrha said, glancing unsurely at Ruby who could only shrug back. Even with her future memories, she still had no idea what went through Ozpin's head sometimes.

"But, you do still seem a little worse for the wear," Ozpin continued, his gaze scanning over the same injuries Ruby noted not seconds before. "Have you been treated yet, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha winced. "Not exactly, no, sir."

"Well, that won't do then." Ozpin tapped his cane on the ground. "Please go see the nearest surgeon immediately and get your Aura replenished."

When Pyrrha opened her mouth to argue, Ozpin held up a hand. "I know. You don't wish to leave your partner alone. But the danger has passed for the time, and I assure you that both Miss Rose and I will watch over Mr. Arc until you return."

Ozpin looked expectantly at Ruby, who gave Pyrrha the biggest smile she could muster and hoped it didn't look too fake. "Yeah, you can count on me. I won't let anything happen to Jaune, promise."

Pyrrha nodded to Ruby once, before turning back to Ozpin "If you're sure..."

The Headmaster pushed the door open again. "Go, Miss Nikos. And please, try to give yourself the time to eat before you come rushing back."

With one last glance at Jaune, Pyrrha half-walked, half-sprinted out the door. Ruby pursed her lips as the sound of clanking armor faded down the hallway. "She's not gonna' eat."

"Doubtful," Ozpin agreed. Ruby smiled, truly this time, for a brief moment. Pyrrha's unwavering loyalty for Jaune was something she'd never get tired of seeing.

The smile dropped away just as quickly when she turned back to Jaune's comatose body. The black marks under his skin taunted her. "He's not okay, is he?"

He just seemed so weak. His Aura, normally so white, pulsed a faded grey in time with the strained beat of his heart.

"He'll survive. Mr. Arc was extremely lucky," Ozpin grabbed the chart hanging by a hook at the foot of Jaune's bed and flipped through the contents. "The bone almost pierced his heart. Between the organ trauma and the tremendous blood loss, the fact that he's still breathing is just short of a miracle."

Ruby stumbled to the side of the bed, dragging the IV behind her. A pained frown creased Jaune's brow. She brushed back her friend's bangs. Uncomfortable warmth radiated from his skin. He mumbled softly, his head leaning into her cool touch.

"You didn't really answer the question," Ruby said to Ozpin. "There's no way he's okay. He's burning up."

"There was a… complication," Ozpin admitted. Placing the chart back on its hanger, he stepped to the opposite side of Jaune's bed. He raised his open hand and a tiny ball of pale green energy coalesced in the center of his palm. "This, Miss Rose, is raw Aura. My Aura, to be exact."

Ruby stared at the glimmering orb, dumbstruck. Ozpin held quite literally a small shard of his own soul in the air before her.

"Raw. Uncultivated. Very few people can draw out and manifest a piece of their own soul in such a manner," Ozpin explained, bouncing the ball between fingers. "But it's inherently no different than Aura transfusion, a skill any Hunter worth their salt can accomplish. This is just at a much greater magnitude."

He tossed the sparking ball at Ruby. She flinched back but the moment the green energy touched her skin, it vanished. A wave of calm rolled over her and reinvigorating strength rushed through her limbs. The aches and pains tormenting her body she had expected to deal with for the next few days faded away in a mere instant.

The tinkle of metal on tile caught her attention. Down on the floor, the needle tip of the IV rolled back and forth. Ruby glanced at her arm, just in time to watch the last traces of the pinprick in her elbow smooth over into flawless skin.

"You'll find that you no longer suffer from any of the side effects of Aura exhaustion," Ozpin said. Ruby clenched her hands, marveling in the energy bubbling at her fingertips.

She looked up at Ozpin. "How did you…?"

He smiled gently at her. "I happen to have a rather unique control of my own Aura. And raw Aura drawn straight from the very soul provides hundred of times the energy of a simple transfusion." The smile faded quickly. "Unfortunately, that leads me to the problem at hand."

"A small portion of my Aura can completely regenerate your own reserves, to the point that you probably feel the need to burn off the excess energy," Ozpin said as he conjured another pale ball of energy in his hand. He raised it over Jaune's body.

With a glance at Ruby, he let the orb fall down onto the young blond. Instead of vanishing into his body as the Aura Ruby had absorbed, the spirit energy radiated outward. A rush of air hit Ruby in the face, blowing her hair around wildly. The green Aura dispersed almost instantly, flowing off to the side and away from Jaune. The boy groaned, shifting slightly.

"The wounds are resistant to Aura transfusions or healing. Something is preventing Mr. Arc from accepting Aura. As you can see, even my own Aura is completely rejected," Ozpin stated, "Beacon's doctors resorted to stitching together his wounds. It's an older, more archaic method, but its the best they could do. We can still supply the boy's soul with Aura to keep him alive, but he will have to heal on his own. Only time will tell."

Ruby stared down at the boy. "Is he going to wake up?"

"I hope so."

Ruby glanced at the Headmaster sharply, a mix of shock and anger blazing in her silver eyes. Ozpin sighed, "I wish I could be more optimistic, Ms. Rose. But Mr. Arc must face this battle on his own. If he has the willpower I expect, then I hope we will see him awake and healing soon."

Ruby brushed Jaune's bangs back again, frowning at the sweat beading along his forehead. A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Why are you telling me all this? Why not Pyrrha?"

"Very few people ever grow as close as a Huntsman's partner, true," Ozpin said, a strange glint in his eye that Ruby couldn't recognize. "Only those who share a more intimate connection. Family, perhaps. A lover. Or perhaps someone who's touched their very soul."

Ruby stilled.

"Certain actions create important connections, Miss Rose. Bonds between souls, things not to be taken lightly," Ozpin said mildly, hands resting on his cane. "Such a connection could occur if a young girl were to decide to help a desperate young man in need and unlock his Aura."

"I didn't-" Ruby tried to deny immediately, only for a raised hand to stop her.

"I am many things, Miss Rose," Ozpin admitted. "A fool, a dreamer, a monster even. But I am not blind to the going ons within my own school. There is no shame in what you've done, but there are consequences."

"The word 'consequences' always makes things seem really bad," Ruby mumbled, mostly to herself. Ozpin chuckled, overhearing her nonetheless.

"Indeed. This consequence, however, is only what you and Mr. Arc make of it." Ozpin idly tapped his cane against the tile. "No one has truly studied the connections between souls before, or if they have then their research has been lost to the ages. But, suffice it to say, you and Mr. Arc will be quite aware of each other."

"You will begin to experience his struggles, just as he will feel yours. And considering he's fighting for his very life now, I felt it only right to tell you the truth of the matter." The Headmaster explained.

Ruby opened her mouth when the door to the room slammed open, startling her. A panting Pyrrha stood in the open doorway with her still wet hair in complete disarray, red locks spilling over her shoulders. She wore a simple red shirt, with her sash still wrapped around her waist and her broken armor clutched in her hands.

"Hello again," She offered hesitantly, looking between Ruby and Ozpin. "I don't suppose I took too long, did I? I tried to hurry."

Ozpin shot a wry grin at Ruby. "Not to worry, Miss Nikos. I have to say, that was the shortest time I've even seen a Beacon doctor spend with a patient."

A blush spread across the Mistrali's face. "I may have, perhaps, cut some corners here and there?"

"Quite," Ozpin smiled at her gently. "Well, now that you've returned to watch over Mr. Arc, Miss Rose and I shall take our leave."

Ruby felt his gaze rest on her. "For I believe we still have quite a bit to talk about and I find myself out of coffee. Miss Rose, if you'd accompany me to my office, please?"

Ruby met his gaze. She knew she couldn't appear weak or accepting, not if she was eventually going to have to establish her position as an experienced Huntress. So she drove the hardest bargain she could.

"If you get coffee, I want a glass of milk."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow and even Pyrrha couldn't hold back the soft giggle that escaped her. "Fair enough, Miss Rose."

* * *

Blake ran the towel through her long, black hair, soaking up the lingering dampness. It was little things like this that would do nothing but make her ears twitch uncomfortable for the rest of the day if she didn't take care of it now. Especially under that blasted bow.

The short shower felt glorious though, and ultimately worth it to clean off the blood and aches of Initiation. Endless supplies of hot, clean water were rare commodities outside of the major cities of Remnant, and knowing that blake planned to take advantage of it as much as possible. One of the small perks of living on the other side of the law now.

The girl slipped back into her white shorts and midriff baring undershirt. They were clean, relatively speaking at least. Between the blood and dirt stains and the multitude of tears, she'd tossed the rest of her clothing into the nearest trashcan. She had others.

Blake winced as she slid her shorts on, her freshly healed leg twinging uncomfortable. It wasn't terrible pain, certainly nothing she hadn't dealt with before, but the layer of new scar tissue wrapping around her leg was stiff and unwilling to move. With time it would loosen up.

Time and the right set of stretches. Ones she had all but completely memorized.

She traced the pattern of rough flesh idly. The new scars could make blending into a crowd more difficult, but she always wore long leggings or pants anyway, so it shouldn't make that much of a difference. It was always best to hide things that could help identify-

She shook her head. Thoughts like those belonged to a different life. A life she threw away. She was Blake the Human now, soon to be Blake the Huntress. Nothing would change that.

"Hello," a cheery voice sung. "Huh. Well, ain't this a view?"

Blake gasped. She spun, ripping the towel from her hair and lashing out with it like a whip. The tip cracked menacingly in the air right in front of a pair of surprised lilac eyes. Blake yanked the towel back, spinning her makeshift weapon around her and preparing for the next strike.

"Whoa, whoa!" Yang exclaimed, backpedaling and waving her hands in front of her placatingly. "Easy, kitty cat. It's me, Yang. Your partner? Who you definitely love enough not to beat to death with a towel?"

Blake slowed, letting the towel fall limp in her hands. With a deep breath, she relaxed her combat stance and some of the adrenaline buzzing in her veins slipped away.

Some. But not all. She could still feel the tingling in her fingers. "Please. Don't do that."

"Got it, no sneaking up on the ninja kitty," Yang said, giving her a pair of thumbs-ups. Blake noticed her new partner was still filthy, covered in a mix of dust, blood, and ash. She smelled like death.

The Faunus scowled. "Why are you calling me kitty?"

"Well, kinda' on account of the ears?" Yang said, gesturing to her own head with her fingers.

"Ears…?" Blake's blood ran cold.

Her hands leapt to her head, bumping over her exposed cat ears. Her heart dropped to her stomach and her chest filled with aching horror as she felt the soft fur in her hands. "No. Oh no."

A frown descended on Yang's face as she watched her partner's eyes dilate, twitching around nervously. "Blake? You okay?"

Yang took a tentative step towards Blake. She flinched back, smacking into the table full of her belongings. Clothing and equipment clattered to the tile floor as Blake snatched up her sword, clutching it defensively in front of her.

Yang stopped mid stride, nearly toppling over.

Gleaming amber eyes locked onto her, full of danger. They swept over her, evaluating her, debating whether she rated as a threat. Yang watched as they narrowed in on the yellow gauntlets resting on her wrists.

The girl before her hunched over, gazing out from beneath dark bangs. Yang saw her hands spasm. One's grip tightened around the hilt of her blade. The other closed into a fist, biting into the worn cloth of the towel. Waves of panic practically radiated off the other girl as her she started to hyperventilate, swaying slightly.

"Easy Blake. It's just me, alright? It's just Yang," Yang said gently, trying to keep her tone even. "You know, gorgeous blonde girl you fought probably a thousand Grimm with maybe a couple hours ago?"

Blake's anxious eyes jumped from Yang to the doorway behind her. The Faunus girl crouched low to the ground, sword still presented protectively before her. Like a barrier. Yang bit the inside of her cheeks. She needed to calm everything down, and fast.

"Look, I just wanna' talk, Blake," she said, with a deliberate step to the side, giving Blake a clear shot to the door. Blake glanced at the door, then back to her. Yang took another step to the side, leaning against a small table with a forced casual air. She kept her stance neutral and her hands, with her gauntlets, pressed down on the table surface behind her back.

Blake's eyes stayed locked on her. The sword dropped slightly. "You don't have to be afraid. 'Cause we're partners."

Yang gave Blake the biggest smile she could muster. "And partners don't hurt each other. We take care of each other. 'Cause we're a team, right?"

The tip of Blake's katana wavered. Amber eyes blinked at her.

"I just want to talk," Yang repeated with a calm tone and faux-casual air, as if she was talking about nothing more important than the weather. "But if you want to run, I promise I won't stop you. Scout's honor."

Blake nodded, a quick, jerky twitch of her head as she opened her mouth. Her voice was rough. "Swear it."

Yang grinned, finally pulling a response from the other girl. "I swear I won't-"

"No." A hard gaze stared Yang down. "Swear it, on your sister's life."

The smile died and the blonde pressed her lips together tightly. A glimmer of crimson flashed somewhere in the deep lavender and she clenched her fists tightly, the leather gloves of her gauntlets creaking. Yang took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

"I swear," Yang started slowly, "On Ruby's life, that if you run I won't try to stop you."

The pair watched each other silently for a tense moment. Finally, Blake nodded again, lowering her blade to her side. "Okay."

"Okay. Great.," Yang said, shaking her blonde tresses, "Cool. So, how about another deal?"

Blake shot a wary, questioning look at her. "What, exactly?"

Yang slowly pulled her arms from behind her and shook her hands, letting the twin gauntlets on her wrists clink together. "I'll take off Ember Celica here, if you put your sword back on the table. Fair?"

Trying to encourage her new partner, Yang even started to carefully slide her left gauntlet off. Blake's eyes flicked between Yang's and her weapon.

"Aren't you trained in close range martial arts?" Blake asked, her katana still down at her side but with her hand still tightly wrapped around the hilt.

"Yeah, but most of are based around my gauntlets. Without them, I'm stuck with wrestling," Yang admitted before flashing a quick wink at Blake. "Are you saying you wanna' wrestle with me, Blakey? I can take off my shirt too."

"No," The Faunus shot back blandly. "Does that line normally work on boys?"

"Meh," Yang waved a hand noncommittally, "It's hit or miss. So, deal?"

Blake searched her face for a moment, before sighing in resignation. "Fine."

Yang's brilliant smile nearly lit up the whole room. "Great!"

The blonde slid her other gauntlet off and, under Blake's watchful eye, placed both of them on the table behind her before taking a big step forward. "There we go, now it's your turn!"

With one last wary glance at Yang, Blake turned and sheathed Gambol Shroud back in its hilt, placing it gently on the table behind her.

Yang's sharp intake of breath sent Blake spinning back around, hands up defensively to ward off an attack. Except instead Yang just stood there, lilac eyes wide with surprise and growing shock.

"What happened to you?"

Blake raised a questioning eyebrow and lowered her hands. "What do you mean?"

"Your back..." Yang said, pointing a shaky finger at Blake.

Dozens, hundreds of scars crisscrossed the Faunus' torso. Thin pale lines from precision slices. The rough, blotchy discoloration from burns. Thick, gnarled flesh where the wound healed improperly, never getting the medical attention it needed.

All of it gained from a lifetime serving as a soldier for the White Fang from the moment she was strong enough to hold a sword onward. It was also a silent, omnipresent account of all of her crimes as an alleged terrorist.

"Oh. Those," Blake said hesitantly with a glance over her own shoulder.

Lilac eyes roamed over the rest of Blake's body, searching, with strange intent so different from any of the uncomfortable looks Adam sent her way. Ultimately, though, she would've preferred her former partner's dark gaze, half desire ridden and half accusatory, than those blank lavender orbs.

Blake shivered. Something about it left her feeling naked and exposed. She hated that sense of powerlessness.

Yang grimaced as she picked out other, smaller scars scattered over the rest of Blake's skin. Mostly faded white scars that most people wouldn't notice at first glance, or those small enough that they could be hidden beneath a dusting of skin-toned concealer.

Even her ears couldn't escape unscathed, Yang realized. A patch of thicker, coarser hair covered the left one where the fur grew back after scarring.

"You didn't get those from today, did you?" Yang said slowly, finally meeting her partner's eyes again

"No," Blake admitted quietly.

"Those aren't new." The blonde continued, her stare unwavering. "Most of those are... a year or two, at least?"

Blake clasped her arm tightly, but didn't speak a world. She cast her gaze to the floor, unwilling or at least unable to keep her eyes locked with her partner's.

Silence fell between them. Thick. Oppressive. A silence Blake couldn't help but break, not even knowing what she wanted to say.

"I'm a Faunus," she started, only to freeze as Yang scoffed at her.

"Yeah, think I noticed that part." Yang waved at Blake's ears. "Kinda' hard to miss. That doesn't explain the scars."

"I had to live outside the kingdoms. It's not exactly a 'safe' place," Blake shot back with a frustrated growl. She wondered how long she could skirt the truth. "Fighting for survival was an everyday thing."

Yang's gaze hardened, purple gemstones glittering angrily back at Blake. "Those aren't all from Grimm, not a chance. Grimm are vicious. They claw and maul people. It's not pretty and it leaves big scars."

Yang stepped next to Blake, poking at a white scar cutting horizontally across Blake's torso just below the edge of her undershirt. One of Adam's first strikes against her, a painful reminder to always keep her guard up. Blake jerked away from the surprisingly warm digit pressed against her skin.

"This one's too clean and precise. It's gotta' be from a sword or some kinda' blade at least," Yang stated firmly, moving her hand to tap on a patch of discolored skin on Blake's thigh. "And this one's a burn. Probably from Dust. I got more than my fair share of those, for sure."

Blake knocked Yang's hand back, subconsciously covering the old wounds. The air around Yang was uncomfortably warm, blazing brightly. Sweat collected at the back of her neck.

"At least half of those are from something besides Grimm," Yang said, crossing her arms beneath her chest and looking at her Faunus partner with a questioning eyebrow raised. "You're a trained fighter, a Faunus, covered in scars from other people and you say you lived out in the wild."

Yang's brow furrowed when Blake avoided her eyes. "Tell me what I'm looking at here, Blake. 'Cause these pieces don't make a pretty picture."

She knows, Blake realized. Or at least suspects.

"I lived _very_ far outside the kingdoms," Blake murmured. "Things aren't as simple out there. These scars… Some things are necessary to survive."

The blonde's eyes flashed crimson. "Necessary?"

Blake swallowed, uneasy. The way Yang spit the word at her sent her combat senses screaming at her, as did the sudden spike in the room temperature.

"So it was necessary that you, what?" Yang bit out, "Attack people? Is that where you got those scars from, huh?!"

"What? No!" Blake exclaimed, painfully reminded of the last time she saw her old partner. The way he disregarded the lives of all the people working on the train during their heist had rang alarm bells she couldn't ignore. "This isn't what it sounds like, I swear!"

Yang ignored her completely, continuing on full steam ahead. "Did you ever kill someone? Is that what you had to do out there, because it was necessary?"

"I never wanted to hurt anyone!" Blake shouted back, "I just wanted to make things right!"

"Tell that to the guy who gave you that," Yang growled, stabbing her finger at the white line above Blake's stomach. The first scar Adam gave her. Her first lesson.

" _You're too weak for me, Blake. I will make you strong," He told her, shaking the blood from his blade. She clutched the wound across her chest, drifting in and out of consciousness. "But it will be just as painful for me as it is for you."_

"He didn't want to hurt me, he was just trying to make me stronger!" Blake yelled. The two stared at each for a moment, Blake breathing heavily and Yang all but completely closed off.

The black haired girl's conviction drained away "He wasn't… I was weak. But I'm not a murderer. I would never… I couldn't..."

Blake just had to convince Yang. She needed to show someone that she wasn't a killer.

"I've done a lot of stupid things. Very stupid things. But I swear I've never killed anyone," Blake babbled, her mouth tripping over her words.

Yang watched her for a moment, her face made of stone. Blake tried not to fidget. Finally, the blonde stuck at her hand towards Blake.

"We're partners," she said, "Maybe we don't have to tell each other everything. I got my own secrets and I know you got yours. But we gotta' swear to be honest with whatever we do tell each other."

Blake made to shake her hand when the blonde yanked it out of reach abruptly. "But you gotta' be serious. Promise."

She put her hand back out to Blake. The Faunus grasped it in her own, marveling at the other girl's strong grip wrapped around her fingers.

"Yang, I promise you. I am not a murderer," Blake said as they shook. "I was just... Trying to make a difference."

"There's more to it then that, though," Yang said knowingly, her expression still somber and hard.

Blake nodded. "Yes. But It's… something I'm not comfortable talking about yet."

Or ever, Blake thought to herself. While she'd never killed anyone herself during her time fighting for freedom in the White Fang, she also never questioned any of their actions. Not until recently. And as a whole, she knew for a fact that the White Fang's methods were growing darker in ways she'd never want Yang to associate with her.

Ways that she'd gone along with until the straw that finally broke the camel's back and she turned tail.

"Good enough," Yang said, letting her lips finally break into a warm smile, "For now, at least. Sooner or later, I'm gonna' get the full story out of you Blakey."

Blake hesitated. "I thought you said we didn't have to tell each other everything?"

"Oh, you don't have to tell me," Yang shot back, grinning all the while. "But you're going to _want_ to tell me. Nobody can resist my charms."

The cheesy wink Yang tossed her way pulled a laugh from Blake. Short and sweet, but still the first actual laugh she'd had in longer than she could remember.

"I sincerely doubt that, Yang," Blake said, lifting an eyebrow at the blonde's offended expression.

"What's the supposed to mean, huh?" Yang scowled, planting her hands on her hips. "You don't think I'm charming?"

Blake reached out, brushing dust and a few loose bits of debris from Yang's jacket. "Not when you look like something the cat dragged in, no."

"Well, _sorry_ I was more worried about my partner- Wait…" Yang started with a glare before trailing off. She stared at Blake, gobsmacked and mouth wide open. "Did you just make a pun?"

Blake smiled coyly. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

Yang's eyebrows vanished beneath her bangs, jaw working soundlessly. Blake's smile dimmed as she wondered if she'd read the situation wrong when Yang's face split into an exhilarated grin. Warm laughter burst from the blonde, lilac eyes sparkling.

"Oh my god, you're making puns!" Yang gushed, "You are literally the best partner, ever!"

"Go take a shower," Blake ordered with a push on the other girl's shoulder and a tiny smirk.

"Fine, fine. I probably smell like crap anyway," Yang admitted, making her way across the room and pulling off her battle damaged jacket.

"You do." Blake agreed. She hesitated, then spoke softly. "Yang?".

"Hmm?" Yang swung back around, tossing her jacket onto the table and hopping on one foot as she pulled off her first boot. "What's up, Blake?"

"Can we keep this," She gestured at her ears, which twitched in her drying hair. "Between us? Please?"

"Sure," Yang agreed easily. "Does anyone else know?"

"No one else at Beacon." Blake paused. "Except your sister, Ruby. She found out during Initiation."

"Aw, don't worry about her. If she knows it's important, she won't blab," Yang assured her. She stopped and pursed her lips. "Well, unless it has anything to do with presents or sweets. She's really bad at keeping those secret."

Yang gave Blake a thumbs up. "Don't worry, this'll be our little secret. Partner's promise."

Blake sighed, feeling more relieved now then she had at any other point during her time since leaving Adam and the White Fang. "If you say so. And Yang?"

"Yo?"

Blake smiled softly at the blonde. "Thank you. For everything."

"No problem. It's what I do," Yang said. She chucked her boots away. "Now you sit tight while I shower real fast, and then we'll grab some grub and see how everyone else is doing."

* * *

Ruby sat opposite the Headmaster at his desk. A fresh, steaming mug of coffee rested in the man's hand while he slid a fresh glass of ice cold milk across the glass surface. She snatched the glass up the moment he placed it before her, guzzling down the chilled liquid.

Dust, it tasted heavenly. Live too long in the middle of the apocalypse and you lose a lot of the littlest things in life. Like cold milk or strawberries. And air conditioning.

Ruby stole a glance at Ozpin over the edge of the glass as she took another massive gulp. The Headmaster had been eerily tight lipped during the walk and subsequent elevator ride up to his office. Now he simply sat with his coffee, experienced gaze watching her.

The dozens of gears in the tower ticked slowly as their teeth meshed together. Through the enormous window behind Ozin, Ruby saw a flight of Bullheads drift through the air above Vale.

"Tell me, Miss Rose, what is your favorite fairy tale?" Ozpin asked suddenly.

Wait, what now?

Ruby coughed as milk slipped down the wrong pipe. She struggled to place the glass back on the table, sputtering and hacking all the while. "What?"

"Your favorite fairy tale, Miss Rose," Ozpin repeated. Ruby winced. That's what she thought he said. "Knowing your family like I do, I wouldn't be surprised if you could name a thousand different stories for me. Which one is your favorite, the one you'd cherish the most?"

Ruby stared at Ozpin blankly, searching for an answer. A single story instantly leapt to the forefront of her mind, one she was far too familiar with on multiple levels. One that she would rather let die out like so many other lost legends over the years and centuries.

The Tale of Seasons. The origin of the Four Maidens.

The wooden arms of her chair creaked under her angry fingertips. No, the Tale of the Seasons was one hundred and ten percent out of the question. She refused to even say the name of that stupid story. It didn't deserve it after how much it had ruined her life. Everyone's lives.

"You must have at least one favorite story, no?" Ozpin asked after a moment of silence.

But she didn't.

With an impending sense of dread filling her sinking stomach, Ruby realized that no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn't remember any of them. Not a single one of the numerous stories her mother told her and Yang as children. None of the fables her Dad would tell the girl's when he was cooking.

Not a single damn memory of any of them.

But she remembered curling up in a blanket with her sister, listen to her Mom's melodic voice until she drifted off to sleep. Ruby remembered listening with rapt attention as her dad waxed poetic while swinging a sauce ladle. But the words themselves? Gone.

The actual stories eluded her, ghostly wisps dancing in her head. The memories just simply didn't exist. The words nothing more than a droning buzz. But they should exist. She knew they should.

Shouldn't they?

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, waiting expectantly.

"Uh. Favorite fairy tales. Fave fairy tales," she mumbled.

A faded memory hit her, one so hazy and indistinct that the only thing she could make out was her mother's hushed whispers. A lot of it was missing, filled by that buzzing, but she remember enough bits and pieces. A story of a woman doing everything to protect her family.

Ruby latched onto it. "Well, there's one. The Dragon Queen."

"The Dragon Queen?" The surprise in Ozpin's voice set Ruby on edge in a heartbeat.

"Yes?" Ruby said hesitantly. In for a cent, in for the whole lien.

Ozpin blinked, his eyebrows vanishing into his gray bangs. "Your favorite story is the tale of the fallen queen?"

"Maybe?" Ruby winced, already cursing her absent memories.

"The story of the righteous queen who succumbed to darkness and wielded unholy power to raise her children from the dead. Only for them to terrorize others, haunting their nightmares."

Ruby's heart sank. She didn't remember any of that.

"When the people could take no more and came to destroy her children, the queen cursed herself and transformed into a ferocious dragon," Ozpin leaned forward across his desk. "A form she used to lay waste to an entire continent, leaving behind death and destruction."

The soft tick-tock of clock gears reverberated painfully loud in the silence that followed.

"That is your favorite fairy tale?"

"But she does all that stuff to protect everyone she cares about, right?" Ruby finally exclaimed, digging deep into that wispy memory. "She fights off all the people trying hurt her family, just because they were different. Even when she turns into a dragon, she still cares about them."

"Perhaps," Ozpin allowed briefly.

And perhaps not," Ozpin raised his hands before her, palms facing up. "There are always two sides to a story, Miss Rose."

"On one hand, the queen sacrificed anything and everything to save the ones she loved, individuals hated for simply committing the sin of existence," Ozpin said, his voice softening, "A noble goal, but at what cost?"

His tone hardened and Ruby flinched. "Because on the other hand, the queen toyed with powers beyond her comprehension. Power that ultimately corrupted her and her children. And in the end she killed hundreds. Maybe thousands of innocents."

Ruby held her breath when dark eyes swept over her. "Is such a sacrifice worth making?"

"I don't know," Ruby mumbled.

"What would you do for the ones you cared about, Miss Rose?"

Everything seemed so much heavier under that cold gaze. This was the man with the strength to control the Huntsmen and Huntress of Vale unequivocally and not the shattered man he had become in her own time. Who was she to stand against him?

Fingers clenched into fists. She was Ruby Rose. She was once the last living Huntress.

"Tell me, what would you do?"

"Anything," she uttered without further hesitation.

And suddenly the weight on her vanished as Ozpin sat back in his chair, weary brown eyes staring out at her from beneath wispy gray hair. Ruby frowned. This was the face she recognized, full of tired shadows. A man breaking beneath the weight of the world and his own secrets.

"I see," he said softly.

"The story of the Dragon Queen is one of the oldest legends in history, pre-dating all other written works that we know of," Ozpin said after a moment of silence, "In fact, it's said to come from a time before Remnant itself."

He quirked his head to the side. "So where did you end up hearing that particular tale?"

"Uh, from my Mom. She used to tell us old fairy tales as bedtime stories," Ruby said. At least, Ruby hoped she did. Her memories were somewhat lacking at the moment.

"Ah yes, Summer would have known that story well," Ozpin said, "Though I'm surprised she passed that down to you so early."

"Wait, why?"

"It's not exactly a nice story to tell a young child, now is it? Considering it ends in death," Ozpin offered with a tiny, grim smile.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But the world isn't perfect either right? You gotta' show the good and the bad," Ruby said.

"True," Ozpin allowed with a nod of his head. "It's also somewhat of a disputed work. Many current scholars believe it's meant to be an ancient cautionary tale, warning against the dangers of all consuming power and inability to let loved ones go. Some disagree and believe that it's actually the exaggerated story of a once real ruler turned despot."

Ozpin chuckled quietly to himself. "It's always quite the shouting match when it's inevitably brought up at academic conferences."

"You like studying old stories, Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asked, more to get off the subject of the Fallen Queen than anything else.

The Headmaster lifted his cup to his lips, draining down the last dregs of coffee. He set the porcelain cup to the side. "I have quite an interest in fairy tales and legends, yes."

"In fact, if you're willing I'd actually like to share some with you, Miss Rose. Two very special fairy tales," Ozpin said, leaning forward again.

"Okay?" Ruby agreed awkwardly. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I mean, yeah, sure."

"The first is the legend of the Well of Souls. I doubt you've heard of it, have you?"

Ruby shook her head. At this point she wasn't even sure what she did or did not remember of her childhood.

"Hardly surprising. This particular legend is one of the oldest that I know. It's more of a spiritual belief than any true fairy tale. No heroes or monsters, so it's hardly something most children would be interested in," Ozpin allowed with a brief chuckle. Ruby laughed awkwardly as well.

Piercing brown eyes suddenly focused on her. "What is a soul, Miss Rose?"

Ruby blinked at the question. "I mean, are souls are who we are, aren't they?"

"True, in a very simplistic sense. But I'm asking what exactly is a soul? What is it made of? Where does it come from when we're born and where does it go when we pass on?"

Ozpin clasped his hands before him. "These questions are the things scholars have studied for millennia, philosophers and scientists alike. Despite humanity and faunus kind's long life in this world, as a people they have have barely scratched the surface of truly defining the soul."

"But what does that have to do with the well thingies?" Ruby asked impatiently.

"I was just getting to that," Ozpin said with a knowing smile. "There is a belief that there is a flow of Aura and energy that keeps Remnant herself alive. The world's lifeforce, if you will. This spiritual river is what allows life as we know it to exist, from the smallest plant to the largest animal, and it contains every soul that ever has or ever will exist."

"Without it, Remnant would be nothing but a barren wasteland at best. At worst, it would a be a nightmarish world inhabited by monsters and demons, soulless creatures and other abominations like them."

The blunt way Ozpin put it sent a shiver down Ruby's spine.

"It's from this Spirit River that souls are derived. Tiny droplets that break away and take shelter within all living creatures. Every soul for every man, woman, child or animal that has ever lived and those that will someday live. They all exist within the River. And when you die, your sliver returns back to the whole." Ozpin said.

"It's quite a comforting thought, isn't it?" He smiled softly, expanding when he noticed her confused frown. "You will one day be reunited with everyone you've ever cared for, if you believe this is true."

"But the river is a metaphysical entity. It does not truly exist in our world," Ozpin said, pausing meaningfully. "However there are places, ancient hidden places, where the lines between this world and next are blurred and boundary is shattered. That is the Well of Souls, where the river bubbles forth onto our plane."

Ozpin sat back in his chair. "Many have scoured the globe in hopes of discovering a real Well, for legend tells that the Well of Souls grants access to the Spirit River itself. And with ability to manipulate Remnant's lifeforce, they would truly have the powers of a deity."

"Whoa," Ruby murmured.

"But," Ozpin held up a finger in warning, "Legend also says that only those who are born of not from dust, but with eyes of the moon are truly worthy of wielding this immense power. It warns that all others will suffer the harsh consequences of meddling with creations beyond their understanding."

Ruby gulped at Ozpin's unblinking gaze. "But it's just a story, right?"

"Yes, it is just a legend," Ozpin said, "But remember Miss Rose, all fairy tales grow from a seed of truth."

That unsettling statement cast a troubled silence over the pair. Ruby shifted anxiously in her seat, her mind abuzz with implications.

The Headmaster spread his hands across his desk, palms down. The weight of his gaze settled on Ruby's shoulders yet again. "There is another reason why I told you this story. While the myth of the Well of Souls doesn't not often deal in absolutes, it's extremely clear about one thing."

"While death of the body will simply reunite the soul with the River, the destruction of the soul itself will erase that person from existence. They are condemned to oblivion," Ozpin said forcefully. "Everything that makes them who they are is lost. Forever."

"When your evacuation flight arrived, your Aura was practically nonexistent, Miss Rose. And Mr. Arc should be all rights be dead. Unless someone was forcing Aura to his soul. Logic dictates that someone must have been you." Ruby sat up straight under the sudden accusation.

"I did what I had to to keep Jaune alive," Ruby said unrepentantly.

"You came dangerously close to consuming your own soul for more Aura. You would've felt unimaginable pain as you were torn apart at a base level. Agony beyond compare," Ozpin said sternly.

"Debatable," Ruby mumbled to herself. Time travel might give spiritual death a run for its money if her trip to the past was anything to go by.

"Would that sacrifice have been worth it?" Ozpin asked. "Your very existence in exchange for Jaune's life? Despite knowing that, if the legend of the Well of Souls is true, there's a good chance you would see him again?"

Ruby nodded without hesitation. "Absolutely."

Ozpin sighed, rubbing at his forehead. "Miss Rose-"

"We all have just one life, right?" Ruby interjected, "And we gotta' live it the best we think we can. I don't know about you, Professor, but I couldn't still be who I am if I didn't try to save Jaune."

Ozpin stared at her, almost as if he were seeing her in a new, strange light. "That's a mature perspective, Miss Rose. However, I would caution you against using such extreme methods. A soul is extremely precious, yours especially."

Ruby opened her mouth to respond, but stopped herself as Ozpin raised a hand.

The Headmaster took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "While I believe we could argue this point back and forth for days, that is time we do not have and I still have one more story I'd like to share. It's called the Tale of the Seasons, the story of the Four Maidens. Perhaps you've heard of this one?"

And there went that other shoe. Ruby froze, her hands clenched around the fringe of her combat skirt. She'd heard of that story well enough. She had to live with it every damn day and grew to hate it with every fiber of her being.

Ruby tried to answer, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth and her lips refused to move. She jerkily shook her head.

"No? Surprising. While the Well of Souls is a fairly archaic legend, I would've thought your mother would tell you about the Maidens before the fallen queen. It's a fairly well known tale across all four Kingdoms."

Ozpin adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Let me try to tell it properly then."

"Long ago, a foolish old wizard hid himself away from the world in despair, for he had grown cold to its sufferings. He had lost his way and so lost himself in the wilderness for centuries, far from any civilization."

"Years passed, and the wizard became a shadow of his former self while the world darkened around him." The Headmaster rested against the back of his chair, letting the shadows wash over him once again. "Each day, the night became longer and the sun a little less bright."

"Until one day, he was found by four sisters. Four very special sisters. And despite their young age, they each taught him something. Patience, Life, Adventure, and Thankfulness. Together, they brought the wizard something he'd long been missing." Ozpin smiled softly. "They brought him hope."

"In return, the wizard gave the sisters all his remaining power. He bestowed on them each the elemental powers of a season and told them 'Go out and bring hope back to the world just as you've brought hope back to me.' "

Gears ticked quietly as Ozpin finished his story. He let his final words hang in the silence for a moment. Ruby sat, stone-faced, working desperately to keep all emotion off her face.

"It's an interesting story, no?" Ozpin said, sliding a coffee pot across his desk and pouring himself another mug of the dark liquid.

"It's... nice," Ruby forced out. That was a bald faced lie. She hated that story with a passion. She kept her expression as neutral as possible, trying to control the twitching in her jaw.

Thankfully Ozpin didn't notice as he took a long sip. "Ah. Yes, it's known in the academic world that the Tale of the Seasons is a mythological origin story many thousands of years old. From long before the countries of modern Remnant existed. It's meant to describe the events of nature that early peoples of Remnant couldn't fully understand."

For a moment, Ruby felt herself relax as Ozpin dove into the differing academic theories about the Four Maidens. The murmur swept past her, droning slipping in one ear and out the other.

"But..." She snapped back to full alertness, glancing up to see cold-hearted eyes once again staring at her over the edge of the white porcelain cup printed with Beacon's logo. "Would you believe me if I told you it was all true?"

Her mouth dropped open. "What?"

"Everything. The Maidens. The Wizard. All of it." The cup clinked against the desktop. "What if I told you there really were four Maidens? Women gifted with the powers of the seasons? Not through Dust or Aura but from something far greater, even perhaps magical in nature?"

"In fact," Ozpin leaned forward intently, hands clutched around his cane and his harsh eyes never leaving her. "What if I told you that there was a Maiden in this very room?"

Ruby gaped at the Headmaster completely at a loss for words. This was not at all how this conversation was supposed to go!

"What?!" She squeaked. Oh, very convincing. She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek. This wasn't her specialty. No this was for Blake, and Yang, and Weiss. They could handle talking with people. She just liked to beat them to a pulp with her sweetheart.

As such, Ruby instinctively fell back to her special operations training on infiltration; deny everything and anything. "I'm not- I can't be a Maiden."

Perfect. Now she seemed understandably astounded. It wasn't all that hard to add a hesitant quiver. A utterly confused fifteen year old sounded pretty similar to a mostly confused twenty seven year old anyway.

Ozpin remained silent. He swiped his hand across his desk, and a pair holographic images materialized before them both. The two videos that started playback with another flick of his wrist. Ruby recognized them from Initiation with a sickening lurch in her stomach.

In the first she watched as a tiny, grainy figure swung a red scythe, sending a glowing white swath of icy energy slashing through the Elder Griffon's side. In the second, massive shards of ice exploded from the Griffon's paw. Moments later a tiny black and red form dropped to the ground.

Damn it.

"Unless you've suddenly developed a new Semblance, I don't have many other plausible explanations for these." Ozpin commented mildly, staring her down through the moving shards of light.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

"I just made some ice," Ruby mumbled dumbly, "Weiss can do the same thing."

"No. Miss Schnee relies heavily on Dust in order to use the elements in battle," Ozpin pointed out. "What I see here is raw, unadulterated power."

He gestured at the blinding white blade of energy traveling between her own holographic recording and the Grimm. Even from her seat, Ruby saw the way it tore through the ground and left behind a trail of frost and snow.

"You were creating ice, on your own, without Dust or Semblance. That is one of the powers of a Maiden. The Winter Maiden, if I were a betting man. She's always had a special affinity for ice over anything else."

Ruby tried to think of a counter argument for that. Something. Anything. She found herself sitting silently instead.

"Alright, maybe I am a Maiden, maybe I'm not," Ruby finally muttered sourly, "I'm not totally convinced on that yet. But so what? Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to understand fully the world you've just been thrown into, Miss Rose. Many people have hunted for the 'immeasurable power' of the Maidens. Hence why the story was allowed to fade into a simple legend," Ozpin said, "To keep the women in question safe and their powers out of the hands of those who would use it for… Well, less than just purposes to put it mildly."

That was putting lightly, Ruby thought. She remembered the bloody rampage Cinder Fall carried out with the help of her own share of the power of the four seasons before the end, carving swarths of fiery destruction through all those who opposed Salem. She never left bodies, only ashes.

Normal people couldn't stand against that kind of power. Not even the strongest Huntsmen and Huntresses.

Not even Qrow.

Ruby snapped back to the present as the Headmaster rubbed at his eyes with one hand, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "Beyond that, however, I don't know."

Ruby frowned. She poked the edge of the desk, unsure. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

Ozpin sighed and stood, walking to the glass window behind his chair. "As a Maiden, you are a Guardian of Remnant. You have the potential to be a legendary heroine and protector of the people. But you are also still a child, if you can forgive the term."

He gazed out over Beacon's campus and the skyline of Vale in the distance. "To be completely honest, Miss Rose, in more recent times I often doubted you even were the next Winter Maiden. Even so, had your Maiden powers not manifested, I would have allowed you at least some time to prepare before I broached this subject with you."

The response floored Ruby. She never expected Ozpin to be this honest or open about the situation. For once, the rational part of her mind rallied forth, begging her to spill her secrets to the Headmaster and at least secure a formidable ally.

She battled with herself. Ozpin didn't deserve to know. But did she really have the time to waste being childish when the fate of the world lay balanced on her shoulders. A thought struck her.

"But how can I be a Maiden? How do you even get to be a Maiden?" Ruby asked with no small amount of real curiosity.

Despite explaining the legend of the Four Maidens to her shortly before his death, Qrow adamantly refused to explain how the power moved from one person to the next. Even when she asked directly, repeatedly, he'd only take an especially long drink from his flask before awkwardly changing the subject. No amount of pleading, whining, or cold shoulders would change his mind.

For the first time since she'd traveled to the past, perhaps for the first time ever, Ruby witnessed Ozpin caught off guard. He turned to her and then hesitated, his mouth opening soundlessly, before he finally started to speak.

"There are a set of rules that the powers of the Maidens must obey," Ozpin said slowly. His gaze cut to her briefly as if he were steeling himself. "When a Maiden dies, her powers seek out a new host, starting with the the last young woman in the dying Maiden's thoughts. This woman, or girl even, becomes the first candidate in line to receive the powers of the Season."

Ruby frowned. "But that doesn't make sense. What if it the Maiden thinks of a boy?"

"Then the powers transfer to someone random, someone who would be considered worthy to possess the power of that season," Ozpin explained, walking slowly back to his desk.

"So that's what happened to me?" Ruby asked more for confirmation, "The last Maiden died, and she didn't think of another good Maiden so the powers came to me?"

Surprise shot through her when Ozpin shook his head in the negative. "Not necessarily."

"But you just said that's what happens," Ruby blurted out.

"Only if the Maiden's last thought is not of a possible Maiden," Ozpin clarified.

"But no one would've thought of me," Ruby said, thoroughly confused, "I don't know any Maidens. I definitely don't know any dead Maidens."

Ozpin looked at her meaningfully, and for some reason Ruby thought she saw pity and regret welling in his gaze. "Can you think of no one whose last thought might have been of you, Miss Rose?"

"I don't know any…" Ruby trailed off as the answer dawned on with all the cruel clarity of a lightning strike. The barest whispered slipped from her lips. "...Mom?"

Ozpin didn't have to say anything. She knew she'd found the truth. Ruby blinked back a wave of dizziness that washed over her. Spots filled her vision, blinking in and out of existence.

Salty bile coated the back of her throat. She wanted to scream, to cry, to smash something. Instead she sat in her chair, still as the grave, nonsensical mumbles slipping from her lips.. "I… But I…"

"I'm sorry, Miss Rose." Ozpin sounded far away, thick and fuzzy. "Summer was extraordinarily special and a beautiful soul. Of the many things I regret, Summer's death is a mistake haunts me constantly."

Something cold, dark and hateful stirred in Ruby's chest, rearing its ugly head and roaring. The girl's heart beat an angry tempo in her veins.

"You knew."

The dangerous whisper slipped between clenched teeth. Ozpin sat quietly, his silence more than enough of an admission of guilt.

"You knew." This came louder, filled with anger. Ozpin carefully set his mug on his desk.

"You knew what happened to my mom!" Ruby rocketed to her feet, chair clattering to the floor. A wave of cold spread through the Headmaster's office. "You knew what happened and you never told us!"

Jagged shards of ice exploded around her, cracking the thick glass floor and ripping her former chair into a pile of broken matchsticks. Snowy crystals swirled around Ruby and her crimson cloak whipped about wildly.

She slammed her hands down on the desk, sending a wave of frost spreading over the surface. Her newest scar stretched painfully as she snarled, her eyes flickering between silver and red.

"We didn't even know she was dead! You could've told us, or said something. But now she's gone, and it's all because of your stupid Maidens!"

Aura began to leak from the edges of Ruby's eyes as she raged. The wind in the office picked up and it grew colder. Cracks spread across the window overlooking Beacon's campus.

"She died because she was just a part of one of your stupid schemes!"

"Enough, Miss Rose."

Ozpin spoke calmly, but his voice commanded power. The ice crawling over the desk slammed into an invisible barrier and halted. A pulse of green Aura rushed from Ozpin's body. Warm air blasted Ruby in the face as the wind around her died away. The ice covering the floor and desk melted away.

"Your mother was many things, but a pawn she was not," Ozpin said, standing as well. Ruby glowered up at the man, hating how short her younger body was in that moment. "She was kind and caring, but she was also a leader. She knew exactly what she was doing."

Ozpin looked to the side. "Your mother and I disagreed on many things, things that you are even now unaware of. But when things were bleakest, it was your mother who accepted the burden that ultimately led to her death."

He closed his eyes, losing himself for a moment in the past. "She was rather unyielding when her mind was made up. She told me that she would letting nothing threaten her daughters."

The Headmaster opened his eyes again, staring into Ruby's angry silver orbs. "You have the very same eyes she had, Miss Rose. She passed those onto you as one part of her legacy. The other part you can find in the ice you just summoned to my office."

Ruby glared back at him. She clenched her firsts, arms stiff at her side. She ached for Crescent Rose.

Ozpin sat back down "Whether you believe it or not, Miss Rose, you are the Winter Maiden. This outburst merely proves it. That is also your mother's legacy."

He paused a moment, waiting for a response. None came, merely the same furious pair of quicksilver eyes shooting cold daggers at him.

Ozpin sighed. "I know this is not the best way to end this particular conversation, but I would like to ask if there's anything you wish to ask or tell me?"

There were quite a few choice things she wanted to scream at him for sure. But Ruby made up her mind. She would officially be keeping Ozpin out of the loop and in the dark until it was absolutely necessary. And it was possible that it would never be necessary, at least if the time traveler had her way.

"No," Ruby bit out.

"Very well then. Thank you for your time. You may return to your partner, if you wish." Ozpin said.

Ruby didn't hesitate. Turning on her heel, she marched past the splintered pillar of ice still sticking through the floor to the elevator, keeping the Headmaster in the corner of her vision. The doors slid open for her immediately. She stepped inside and waiting for the doors to close.

Silver locked onto brown, watching him carefully until the elevator doors shut before her.

Because now Ozpin was an enemy. And Ruby Rose never let an enemy out of her sight.

* * *

 **Couple things. First, if you notice that Ozpin's telling of the Tale of the Seasons is a little different. I'm big on the flawed narrator thing, and similar to that remember that this is Ruby's perspective of Ozpin's perspective of the story. He could be changing things because he's the one telling the story or because of who he's telling it too. Anything's possible.**

 **Next, we are semi-officially AU now. The real-officially part comes in a few days when Vol 4 starts and effs up all my plans (Still super hyped anyway). Oh well. Yes, Summer Rose has most likely nothing to do with the Winter Maiden (I give it a 0.1/10 chance at best). And no, not ignoring the Silver Eyed Warriors thing either, which should be somewhat apparent now. Anything else, I'll just answer in the reviews (WHICH IM TRYING TO GET BETTER AT ANSWER I SWEAR)**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed. Next chapter shouldn't take as long since parts of it already got written while I was butchering this one. And if any of you are going to a RWBY Tugg screening in the LA area, look for the average looking guy wearing a Netflix hoodie. It's probably me. Say hi if you want.**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	10. Shifting Winds

**Write a fanfic, I said. You can write 4,000 word chapters, I said. It'll be fun, I said...**

 **Enjoy another 8,000 words.**

* * *

 **Shifting** **Winds**

* * *

Jaune stood alone, surrounded by vast, inescapable white emptiness stretching out beyond the horizon. An omnidirectional void in every single direction.

That was new.

He turned this way and that, spinning around in a circle. The world around him truly seemed endless, white sky meshing seamlessly with white ground. He took a hesitant step forward. Then another.

Each step came faster and faster until he was sprinting forward, bare feet padding softly on the ground as he ran aimlessly. He ran for what felt like both endless days and mere minutes. Jaune wasn't sure.

And yet nothing changed. He skidded to a stop.

"Huh." Jaune expected his voice to echo wildly in the empty sea of white, but instead it sounded incredibly muffled. "This is weird."

He tried to remember how he got here. Or where 'here' actually was. Or how he could get back 'there', wherever there might have been.

He remembered Initiation and fighting Grimm. Sweat and fear rolling over him as he tried not to make a mess of everything. Amazement, watching the other seven, his maybe-friends, fight the unending tide of monsters. Black and red landing next to him with a whisper.

He remembered a earsplitting gunshot, followed by a roar of fire and thunder. Wide pink eyes way too close to the explosion. Adrenaline kicking in, letting him throw himself just a little farther than he ever had. And then pain. Unending, agonizing pain.

Jaune frantically slapped his hands to his chest, dragging them over smooth skin instead of the bloody, gaping holes he expected.

"Okay…" he mumbled, still patting his bare skin in disbelief. He _knew_ that something cut deep into his body right there. "This is really weird…"

He looked around the endless white expanse again. He also noticed for the first time that he was completely naked. Strangely enough, he didn't feel cold at all. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all. Not even his own fingers touching his chest.

A terrifying thought hit him. Was he dead?

"You're not dead, not yet."

Jaune spun around with a shriek, coming nose to nose with a bloody, dirt covered face. His own face. He jerked back, falling to the ground.

"Pathetic," the Other Jaune scoffed. He stood casually, seemingly despite the shards of pure white bone impaling the right side of his chest. Blood welled from within the the twisted holes in his armor and dripped from a dangling, lifeless right arm.

"Who… who are you?" Jaune stuttered out.

Other Jaune leaned forward, glowing red eyes staring out at Jaune from beneath soot stained blond hair.

"Isn't it obvious?" He smiled, a crimson stained sneer that set the hairs on the back of Jaune's neck on end. "I'm you, Jaune."

Jaune's eyes traveled up and down the figure. Black ichor pooled at the thing's feet, coating his sneakers. Other Jaune took a step forward, leaving behind a murky, shadowed footprint.

"Sorry, guess I missed the whole 'family resemblance thing'. Maybe because you're covered in blood!" Jaune exclaimed, slowly rising back to his feet. The smell of death and carrion hit Jaune in an overwhelming wave. "Oh god, and you smell terrible. Ugh, I'm gonna' be sick."

"Always the talker, aren't you?" The wounded doppelganger tilted his head to the side. "Of course, that's all you're good for."

"I… feel like you're insulting me right now," Jaune said. His eyes narrowed as Other Jaune smirked again. "You are insulting me. Jerk."

"What do you know, at least he has a brain." Jaune grit his teeth as his copy started a slow, mocking clap. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

"Oh great, real mature," Jaune grumbled. He turned away from the frankly disturbing visage of his clone, glancing around the white emptiness again. "So, you have any idea where we are?"

"Possibly."

Jaune shot a glare over his shoulder, peeved expression plastered across his face. "Okay, you're just being difficult on purpose."

"What was your first clue?" Other Jaune scoffed. He placed his left hand on his waist, staring at Jaune expectantly. "I already gave you a hint. You aren't dead. Not yet."

"That's super helpful," Jaune grumbled, looking this way and that. Every direction was just the same, stupid white. "So is this a dream, or something like that?"

A cold, clammy hand dropped onto Jaune's shoulder as a soft voice whispered in his ear. "What do you know about the soul, Jaune?"

Jaune leapt forward with a shout, knocking the hand away. The skin on his shoulder burned white hot at the thing's touch. The smell of sizzling flesh choked his throat and he fought to keep down the vomit that threatened to spew forth. He glanced down and gagged.

A blackened, charred handprint marred his bare skin, beads of the same dark ichor resting on the mark. He looked back up at the Other Jaune. "What did you do to me?"

He smiled, softly this time. An altogether more unsettling image, if Jaune were completely honest. Something about a compassionate smile etched beneath hungry red eyes sent fear pumping through Jaune.

"What do you know about souls, Jaune Arc?" Other Jaune crooned softly. He took another step towards Jaune, leaving another oily footprint in his wake.

Jaune's gaze flicked around the endless expanse again, trying to block out the pulsing, burning pain from his shoulder. "This is my soul?"

"Now he's asking the right questions," Other Jaune congratulated with another step forward. A step closer, Jaune realized. He scrambled back from the doppelganger, watching the frustrated expression that settled on his face.

It was beyond strange, Jaune thought, to see his own emotions portrayed across the bloody copy of his face.

Steeling himself, Jaune stood tall. He winced as another wave of hot needles stabbed into his shoulder. "Then what are you?"

Other Jaune smirked again. "I'm you." His eyes gleamed as he took another step forward. "I'm strong."

He took a step."I'm powerful."

He took another step, placing his armored breastplate mere inches from Jaune's bare chest. "I'm everything you can't ever be on your own."

Unbidden memories floated to the front of Jaune's mind. Ruby drawing that massive Grimm away from their losing fight on her own. Pyrrha's complete willingness to sacrifice herself to buy him time to run.

"You really couldn't do anything during Initiation, could you? You almost got yourself killed what? Three, four times? The only reason who aren't dead is because of some insanely dumb luck."

"I helped!" Jaune shouted back. He looked down at his feet awkwardly. "At least, I tried to help…"

"Sure, but what did you actually do?"

Nothing. He did nothing. That bitter realization left a hot ball of guilt and shame bubbling in his stomach. He was useless.

"I'll get better. I know I can," Jaune insisted, "I just need to train so I can catch up with everyone."

"And meanwhile they train to get better. To surpass themselves," Other Jaune pointed out. "Face it. You'll never catch up. You'll always be a step beyond and a lien short."

"No, I can-" Jaune started, only to cut off with a strained gurgle as a hand wrapped around his throat, setting the skin there ablaze with burning pain. Jaune sputtered as the doppelganger lifted him into the air with his one good arm. His feet kicked and twitched as he clawed at the iron grip around his neck.

"You. Will. _Never_. Catch up," Other Jaune growled, his voice echoing and taking on an inhuman quality. The pure rage sent chills racing down Jaune's spine. "Not without me."

Inaudible sputtered words bubbled past Jaune's lips. He scratched at the hand suspending him in the air, hissing as the hellish touch charred his skin. He gasped for air as doppelganger's hand squeezed tighter.

A voice floated out of the ether, coming from all directions at once, terse and guarded. "No."

A soft ding drifted through the void, followed by emotions and feelings clearly not his own. Anger, frustration, guilt. Incomplete thoughts followed. Enemy. Betrayal. Hurt. Family. Gone.

Other Jaune scowled, looking off to the side and snarling. Jaune followed the hateful gaze, staring off into the distance.

Suddenly two crimson flames materialized out of the unending void. They danced in the air, one significantly larger than the other, swirling around and around. They drifted closer and closer to Jaune and his dark copy. A familiar cold washed over Jaune, soothing the burning grip wrapped around his neck. Warmth bubbled up in his chest and he felt his lips twitch into a strained smile.

Other Jaune jerked back as the cold washed over him.

Tendrils of silver energy emanated from the flames, reaching out towards the two Jaunes and wrapping around them. The silver wisps clutched at Other Jaune, binding to his arms and legs like chains and dragging his limbs down.

Jaune dropped to his knees as the Other fought futilely against the silver energy. Other Jaune spat at the crimson flames, howling in an all consuming rage. Jaune winced when bones cracked as the silver tendrils bound him tight.

And then Other Jaune stared straight at him, red meeting blue. "Looks like I'm out of time. But let's just keep this our little secret. Because one day, you'll need me."

Jaune watched, panting heavily, as the Other Jaune reached forward with a single finger extended. He ignored how the silver bindings crushed his body tighter, reaching out towards Jaune's chest. The blond tried to back away, only to find his body beyond his control.

The tip of Other Jaune's finger touched his bare skin and mind-numbing agony blasted through Jaune. Electrifying pain radiating from that single point. Black ichor ran down his torso, bleeding from the now charred hole burnt into his body.

"Time to wake up, Jaune."

* * *

Ruby stormed out of the elevator the moment the doors slid open, brushing past the dozens of people milling about in the lobby and courtyard around Beacon tower. Tiny flakes of ice swirled in her wake.

Which might have cut an imposing figure. Might. If she wasn't only fifteen years old and barely five feet tall, she realized as she smacked into a passing businessman.

"Watch where you're going," he growled, eyes never leaving his Scroll. The bearded gentleman turned to cast a dirty look down at her when the color drained from his face. He sputtered before averting his eyes and pointedly walking off without another word.

Ruby watched him put as much distance between them as quickly as possible with a bemused look. Until she caught sight of her own reflection in the glass windows. Her face was still scorched and covered in splotches of dried blood, her new scar cutting a bright pink path through the encrusted fluid.

Worse, her eyes seemed to just barely glow, even in the well lit lobby. Thin, delicate fingers of frost slowly grew across the window surface.

She blew out an exasperated breath, lifting up the tips of her bangs from where they'd been stuck to her sweaty forehead. The ice's progress halted.

The blood splattered, scarred Huntress look kind of made up for the lack of height, at least.

Ruby sighed, trying to exhale some of the pent up anger along with the air in lungs. Ozpin was a problem for another time. She needed to bury the anger until she needed it again. There were bigger issues for her to worry about in the short term.

She also needed to control herself. She'd almost let loose in the Headmaster's office. Definitely a bad idea. The man was a veteran, and had gone toe to toe with rogue Maidens before.

Ruby exhaled deeply again, and the ice receded, evaporating quickly in the fall sun. Control. She had control. She would deal with Ozpin later.

A nearby elevator dinged as the doors slid open and a familiar white figure strode out, making a beeline for the door. A smile, born as a tiny grin and growing wider by the second, spread on Ruby's lips.

Bigger issues like getting to know her best friend all over again.

She watched for a moment, admiring the way Weiss' white hair glistened in the noon sun. God, she still hadn't gotten over how beautiful it was just seeing her alive. Ruby noticed she looked showered and wore a set of fresh clothing. Only the slight wobble in her step betrayed her exhaustion.

Ruby's expression slipped into a frown. If she'd gotten her low Aura treated, she should be buzzing with energy. Or, at least as close to buzzing as Weiss could possibly get. Not stumbling around. Weiss and the word 'clumsy' were practically blood rivals.

Something was up.

Tapping into a bit of the excess Aura from Ozpin's transfer and closed the distance between her and her partner in the blink of an eye and a trail of roses. "Heya, Weiss!"

The girl squeaked, jumping back from Ruby and nearly slamming into one of the windows before Ruby grabbed at her sleeve to steady her. "Whoa, easy. You okay?"

"I'm fine." Weiss exhaled slowly, tugging her arm from from Ruby and brushing off her clothing. Her gaze glanced over Ruby briefly, before settling off in the distance. The vacant stare seemed vaguely familiar to Ruby, but she couldn't quite place it. "You still look like a complete mess, Rose."

Ruby glanced down at herself. Torn shirt, ripped skirt, pants with barely enough cloth left to make a pair of shorts. All of it stained with soot, blood, and worse. She blew a raspberry at Weiss. "Nah, I look fine. We won. So I look like a winner."

Weiss frowned. "You hardly look the part of a winner."

"Oh yeah?" Ruby said, nudging her partner with her hip and making her ways towards the entrance. "I think I look _awesome_."

"You're covered in filth," Weiss said, heels clicking on the marble floor as she followed beside Ruby.

"Victorious filth," Ruby corrected, pushing the doors to Beacon Tower open with Weiss close behind.

"Well, you've also lost your sleeve," Weiss pointed out.

Ruby spun her exposed arm through its full range, actually enjoying the bright sun on her pale skin and the fresh, clean air. Days like this were non existent in the future. Too much war laid a thick, heavy cloud of dust and fear in the air. Days of peace and serenity were few and far between.

Turning slightly, Ruby tossed a wink over her shoulder at her partner. "It was just holding me back."

Weiss stiffened and suddenly stumbled. Her legs gave out beneath her and she fell forward towards the hard stone courtyard until a pair of firm hands grabbed her shoulders. "Weiss, are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"I said I'm fine," Weiss bit out between gritted teeth, trying to subtly find her balance again without her partner noticing. She closed her eyes as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, tugging on Weiss' wrist and holding her hand in front of her eyes. The Heiress swore under her breath as the offending limb twitched spastically. Her shaking hands betrayed her. Useless.

Weiss yanked her hand away, balling it into a fist by her side.

"Weiss," Ruby said softly, leaning closer to her partner and trying to get those blue eyes to met hers. "Please tell me what's going on? Pretty please?"

Weiss finally met her gaze. Just for a moment, before she snapped her head sharply to the side, her cheeks going the palest Ruby had ever seen them.

"Pretty please with a cherry, and whipped cream, and strawberry sauce and-"

"Why do you care?!"

Ruby wasn't sure whether it was the harsh, bitter tone, or the angry, icy eyes staring straight at her, but she jerked back with a hand instinctively reaching for Crescent Rose. Blood rumbled in her ears as she tried to tamp down her fight or flight response.

Pulse pounding, she forced her hand away from the scythe's empty mount at the small of her back. She really prayed Weiss hadn't noticed the sudden shift in her stance. She honestly wouldn't be that surprised. Massive bags hung beneath Weiss' eyes and with the way her body shook every so often, Ruby doubted the Heiress was all that ware of anything.

"Because you're my partner," Ruby said firmly, "It's kinda' my job to care, really?"

Weiss stared at her for a moment in utter silence before shaking her ponytail and waltzing forward. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity," Ruby said, frowning again as Weiss' heel caught in the separation between two stones in the pathway. "Weiss, wait up!"

"I have much more important things to do than act like an incompetent child," Weiss growled as she tugged her heel free and continued her march away from Beacon tower and towards one of the side paths that led to the rest of the campus. "I have responsibilities to uphold."

Ruby zipped along next to her. "You wanna' to tell me why you look like you got run over by an Ursa?"

"Not particularly," Weiss shot back. "My health is none of your concern."

"Well I don't know about that because you look like a mess," Ruby said bluntly, "You're tripping and falling all over the place like my father after a bad night. And you look like you're barely staying awake. It's like you didn't even get your low Aura treated at all."

The way Weiss suddenly stiffened forced Ruby to pause. She leaned forward just enough to catch a glimpse of the Heiress biting her lip. Her biggest tell.

"You did get your low Aura treated, right Weiss?" Ruby asked hesitantly, already dreading the Heiress' answer.

"I assure you I received all medical care necessary," Weiss stated slowly.

Ruby watched as the girl gnawed on her lip immediately after. The time traveler pursed her lips. "Liar."

Weiss turned and looked at her with wide, panicked eyes. "What do you mean-"

"I mean that you're lying to me, duh," Ruby said, catching Weiss' arm. "Please tell me you got at least a small Aura transfusion?"

Weiss shifted uncomfortably, but stayed silent. Ruby's frown evolved into a full scowl. "Even a tiny bit? Or like some painkillers? A bandaid, maybe?"

"There were more pressing things that required my attention," Weiss said, though her eyes roamed everywhere but Ruby's face.

"Ha, okay. Yeah, nope," Ruby said. She grabbed hold of Weiss' wrist and started pulling the girl along behind her.

"Ruby! What're you- Where are you taking me?" Weiss sputtered as the smaller girl dragged her forward.

"We are going right back to the hospital," Ruby said with no small amount of steel in her voice. "I mean, I was going back there anyway to see Jaune, but first I'm getting you in front of a doctor."

"No, absolutely not," Weiss tried to dig in her heels but a quick, Semblance boosted yank from the redhead pulling her along sent her stumbling forward. "Rose, I demand you let go of me this instant!"

The younger Huntress didn't even give her the courtesy of turning around. "Nope."

"I don't need your help!" Weiss insisted. She took a breath and centered herself, preparing the glyph she'd need in her head. "I'm warning you, Rose."

"Don't care!" Ruby shouted over her. "Nope, so not listening to _youuuu_."

"Fine, be that way!" Weiss said with a withering glare at the back of the other girl's head. She summoned forth her Semblance, ready to inflict her will on reality and launch this _pest_ away from her when lightning pain shot across her chest. The glyph, only partially manifested beneath their feet, wilted and faded away as she she collapsed.

"Weiss!" Ruby's voice was significantly less aggravating when it seemed so far away. The Heiress' vision swam as something gentle caught her before she crashed into the hard stone. That was nice. The smell of roses was even nicer.

Weiss blinked and found herself staring up at Ruby's face, utter concern written across the fifteen year old's expression. She frowned when the younger girl's mouth moved soundlessly. Dimly, she recognized power and strength returning to her body and infusing her limbs.

Her vision slowly started to clear, and with it her hearing returned to normal as well. "Weiss? Weiss?! C'mon Snow Angel, gimme something here!"

"I thought I told you never to call me that," Weiss ground out, struggling to sit up. Her body wouldn't respond at anything more than a crawl and it was infuriating how weak it made her feel. She laid her head back until it hit the side of one of Beacon's buildings with a dull thud.

"Oh thank god." Oddly enough, Ruby for once didn't move to help her. Weiss glanced down.

Both of Ruby's hands pressed against her chest, just above her heart. Crimson tinged Aura flowed from her hands into Weiss' body.

The Heiress' eyes widened. She slammed her forearm into Ruby's wrists, knocking her arms wildly to the side. "Ow. Weiss, what the heck?"

"Don't waste your Aura on me!" Weiss snarled, startling Ruby with the raw vehemence. She struggled and fought to sit up again, sliding herself up the wall with some measure of success this time.

"C'mon Weiss, I was just trying to help," Ruby complained, reaching for Weiss until a sharp gesture from her partner cut her off.

"I SAID NO!"

Ruby jerked back, hurt in her silver eyes.. Her wide, _innocent_ silver eyes.

Weiss grunted, hauling herself onto her feet with the help of the bricks at her back. She shot Ruby a glare between panted breaths. "I have seen _exactly_ how you try to help and I want absolutely no part of it"

"You are a child who doesn't understand exactly how close she's come to death. Aura transfusions when exhausted are incredibly deadly." Weiss stood straight, cursing her wobbling knees. She brushed off the back of her skirt. "I will not have you waste what little Aura you have left on _me_."

Ruby blinked.

"Weiss," she said slowly, "The Headmaster made sure I was back to full before we left the hospital. I'm good to go."

The Heiress gaped at Ruby, embarrassed heat rising to her cheeks. She searched for something to say and her cursed brain came up empty. "He... he did now, did he?"

Oh, that was amazingly intelligent. She resisted the urge to smack herself.

"Yup."

"Oh. Well. I, uh," Words tumbled out of her mouth in no real discernible order. "I may have, perhaps, spoken too soon?"

"I'll say," Ruby chuckled. A sly smile spread across her face. "Say Weiss..."

Weiss swallowed past a suddenly tight throat. That type of smile never meant anything good in her personal experience.

"You didn't get all worked up about me because you actually want to be BFF's, did you?" Ruby asked with a smirk and a gently nudge of her elbow.

Color exploded across Weiss face. She scowled at the smirking, little pest. "Absolutely not! I didn't- How dare you assume-"

"I don't know," Ruby teased, "Worrying about someone else. Seems like a pretty friend-shippy thing to do. People might get ideas, Weiss."

"As your partner, I was simply making sure that you survive," Weiss huffed, "You're my partner for the next four years. It's in my best interests to keep you in top form."

Lip bite. Ruby's grin grew. Caught her.

"Are you _sure_ about that?" Ruby asked. She tapped her finger against the Heiress' cheek. "Cause your blush says otherwise."

Weiss glared at Ruby, despite how her cheeks turned even pinker. Ruby giggled at the non-verbal threat.

Without another word to Ruby, Weiss methodically turned away and strode off with as much dignity as she could muster. Her crimson haired partner watched her for just a moment, pleased to note that the Heiress' strut no longer wobbled.

She winced as a dull throbbing hit her in the chest, her hand clutching at her shirt just below her right shoulder. After all the Aura she received from Ozpin, she shouldn't still be feeling any of the effects of Aura exhaustion. A frown marred her brow as she rubbed the ache away.

Then she realized Weiss was halfway across the courtyard without her. "Hey, Weiss, wait up!"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon. I was just teasing. Ooh, how about I make it up to you and scrounge up some food? I bet there's something in the cafeteria. We can get cake, and cookies, and strawberries-"

"Do you even _know_ where the cafeteria is?"

"No, but I'm willing to learn! Besides, we can go together. It'll be like our first adventure as partners. Well, second adventure really. Initiation technically was-"

"Dear lord, do you ever stop talking?!"

"Not while I'm awake."

Weiss frustrated shriek was like music to Ruby's ears. Old, favorite music she'd missed for a long, long time.

* * *

Ozpin sat silently in his office chair, chin resting heavily on his clasped hands. Pools of water lingered around the destroyed sections of glass floor, a remnant of Ruby Rose's displeasure with him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to fight the wave of weariness crashing down on him.

He stood, leaning heavily on his cane, and limped over to pour himself another cup of coffee. He'd need the caffeine to get through the rest of the day without keeling over. Matching a Maiden pound for pound with his own Aura was difficult on the best of days. That went doubly so for Miss Rose of all people.

He considered himself quite fortunate she had such a weak grasp of her own strength.

The rich smell of fresh roast imported from Patch wafted to his nose and he savored the delicious first sip when his elevator opened with a soft ding.

"Professor Ozpin? Professor, are you here- Good god!"

Glynda Goodwitch's surprised outrage pulled a quiet chuckle from Ozpin as he turned to face his second in command. "Do you use that same language in class with the students, Ms. Goodwitch?"

Glynda's shocked gaze roamed over the wet, shattered glass before settling on Ozpin himself. He hid a smile behind the rim of his cup at the flustered woman, knowing full well that she'd try to skin him alive if he even so much as mentioned it.

Then her eyes narrowed as she focused in on the way the Headmaster gripped his cane. She strode over to Ozpin, whipping out her riding crop and holding it tightly. With a short flick of her wrist, purple energy coalesced into a glyph at his feet. It slowly rose up his body.

Ozpin sighed. "Glynda, I'm quite okay, I assure you-"

He fell silently when the tip of the crop smacked into his lips. Glynda glared up at him. "Quiet."

"As you wish, my dear."

They stood in silence as the purple glyph continued its path upwards, sweeping over his torso and head. Glynda pursed her lips as the manifestation of her Aura vanished. "Your Aura is the lowest I've ever seen it."

"Not altogether surprising. I've been rather busy today, and that was before my meeting with Miss Rose took an altogether unexpected turn," Ozpin explained mildly. He felt a hand press against his chest and a flow of Aura trickle into his body. "Glynda, I'm positive you know exactly how much larger my Aura reserves are compared to your own."

"I'm completely aware of our relative strengths and the distance between us, yes," Glynda shot back briskly. Ozpin frowned as the woman poured more of her energy into him. Enough that he felt a tiny surge of energy.

Or perhaps that was the rush of the caffeine finally hitting his bloodstream.

He caught her hand in his own larger one. "Then you understand why this is rather pointless, yes?"

"Ozpin," Glynda growled, a not-so-subtle warning tone in her voice. He winced as her fingernails dug into his chest. "Do not argue with me about this."

Ozpin shook his head in exasperation, but let go of Glynda's hand. "Who am I to disagree with a beautiful woman?"

The trickle of Aura restarted moments later. They waited patiently together, and with each passing moment Ozpin felt some of the stiffness in his leg fade. His grip on his cane loosened.

Glynda's eyes cut to the destruction wrought in front of the Headmaster's desk. She bit her cheek and looked back at Ozpin, her gaze worried. "What happened?"

"Miss Rose happened," Ozpin said.

"She attacked you?" Glynda asked in alarm. Ozpin scoffed, shaking his gray hair.

"Hardly." He took another long draught from his coffee. "She merely reacted badly to certain elements of her new situation and her powers lashed out towards the person she held responsible."

"She blamed you for being a Maiden?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Ozpin allowed. Glynda watched as his gaze darkened, staring vacantly off into the distance over her shoulder. "And, from one point of view, she is not complete incorrect."

Glynda blinked, and the Aura transfusion paused for a moment. "Summer?"

"Yes."

Glynda took a shuddering breath before pushing Aura into her superior again. "That was not your fault. Summer always made her own decisions, regardless of what anyone did or said. You are not to blame."

"Am I?" Ozpin asked softly. "Summer was not fully ready when She forced our hands, but I would've eventually asked the very same thing of Summer. I would've sent her to her inevitable death when the time came."

Exhausted brown eyes stared out at her. Before Glynda could respond Ozpin continued speaking, waving a hand towards the mess around his desk. "Regardless, Miss Rose clearly disagrees on the subject of my blame and she was rather vocal on the matter."

Ozpin watched bitterly as something dark and ugly settled over Glynda. How he wished the woman never had to deal with the weight of the world like this.

How he missed the eager, bright-eyed blonde girl he'd once had the pleasure of teaching about the mysteries and powers of Dust.

"Is Ruby Rose a threat?" Glynda asked tersely, her crop clutched tightly at her side.

Ozpin shook his head and he wrapped a hand around Glynda's again, startling her out of haunting thoughts. She blinked at him, bemused. "No. But she is quite volatile at the moment."

Glynda scowled. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Miss Rose is a girl who has endured life altering trauma at an incredibly young age," Ozpin explained, walking over to his desk and taking a seat.

Glynda followed, repairing the extensive damage to the room with an idly swish of her crop. Ozpin paused to watch as the scattered pieces of his floor reassembled together with perfect precision. Watching Glynda's Semblance in action never failed to elicit a brief spurt of academic awe in the man.

He took a sip of his coffee. "Such events can leave a lasting mark on the person in question. Especially consider I don't believe she ever truly dealt with the grief and loss. She is suffering, more so now since she has a place to lay the blame for her mother's death."

"Miss Rose also possesses a dangerous edge, one I've rarely seen in a child her age. Her fears drive and control her," Ozpin said. Glynda spine tingled as the Headmaster's eyes flashed with unparalleled anger. "And we both know that can lead to both acts of great heroism and acts of utter destruction."

And the anger vanished just as quickly, leaving Glynda looking at a tired, gray-haired old man. "However, Miss Rose possesses a good heart and an honest soul. She follows a moral code that guides her to help even those she barely knows. Perhaps that will save her from a fall."

The Headmaster sighed, resting his chin in his hands once more. "Ultimately, I do not think we need to view Miss Rose as a threat. A risk, perhaps at worst, but never a threat."

"What should we do then?"

Ozpin glanced at Glynda over his clasped fingers. "Push her."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Now that her Maiden powers active, Miss Rose is in more danger than she's ever been," Ozpin said. "With what happened to Amber, we cannot risk losing another Guardian. Particularly Miss Rose. She must be ready to fight, for all our sakes."

"And yet," Glynda shot back. "The battle against the Elder Griffon pushed her to her very limits, it seems. We both know there are much worse things than Grimm under Her command."

"True," Ozpin allowed. "So push Miss Rose. Push her to her limits, until she's forced to break past them. Then push her even further."

"You want to turn her into a weapon." Glynda said quietly, comprehension dawning on her with all the painful glory of a thunderbolt.

"No, I don't want to," Ozpin admitted. "But I have learned my lesson. We _need_ to accelerate things. I will not let the life of Summer Rose's daughter be wasted in a pointless effort to buy us more time."

The soft ticking of the gears filled the silence between them, measuring the seconds as they passed.

"I understand," Glynda said finally, her voice so quiet he almost missed it.

Ozpin sighed, sinking back into his chair. "Thank you."

He looked away from her, fingers dancing across his desk's keyboard. Virtual representations of Beacon's records flashed to life, hovering in the air before the two Professors.

The Headmaster continued typing as he spoke. "I've locked in the final teams with their leaders from this year's Initiation. Please collect the students and bring them to the Ballroom for the Announcement Ceremony. I will join you shortly."

"Of course, Professor," Glynda said with a curt nod. She strode to the elevator, pausing only momentarily to glance back at Ozpin with a concerned expression. Then her professional mask, one of a teacher with years upon years of experience, settled over her face. The doors slid shut.

Ozpin took a deep breath. His fingers tapped away, entering an identification number for a Scroll he hadn't used in a very long time. He hesitated, finger hovering over the call button.

He pressed down and initiated the communication. It took a few minutes before the line finally connected and a voice garbled with static answered him.

Ozpin smiled wanly. "Hello, old friend. There's been a situation concerning your daughter…"

A brief burst of static gave Ozpin a second's reprieve to settle his nerves. "I need your help."

* * *

The Industrial District of Vale, while clearly one of the best in the world, only second behind the massive machinery complexes of Atlas, also held its fair share of less than morally upstanding individuals. Particularly in a block of ancient buildings running up the edge of the river estuary that cut through the heart of Vale. It sat far from the shiny new docks that serviced cargo transport and known only among those who made their life in the district as 'The Banks'.

Deep within the maze of rusty, old warehouses lining the waterfront there, a keen eyed criminal or unsavory huntsmen could spot all manner of illicit activity. Drugs, low level weapon and Dust trafficking, practically anything. The Vale police department barely made more than a cursory pass of the area anymore. Every time they picked off one dealer or thug, three more would pop up. The Banks were just packed to the brim with rats and scum of all types

Which made it the perfect place for a viper to lie in wait.

The man puffed idly on the very expensive Vacuan cigar he'd _liberated_ from a clearly less deserving soul as he poured over maps and timetables, absently twirling his cane in one hand. He growled, scratching out a line on one paper before writing down two more.

This was real thievery. Any two bit punk with a knife could rob someone. A heist took skill and technique. He was a master thief and he took a not-insignificant amount of pride in that fact. Planning and preparation were just as useful tools when pulling off a heist as he did the hidden Dust cannon spinning between his fingers.

Roman Torchwick sighed in pure, unadulterated exasperation as the door to the warehouse slammed open, bouncing off the wall. "Perry, is that you?"

Silence. Irritation bubbled in his veins. He growled and stood from his scheming.

"I thought I told you to wait before meeting me back here…" He turned as he spoke, hand frozen halfway towards pointing an accusing finger at his recently acquired Faunus lackey.

Only the White Faunus grunt wasn't the one barging their way into his current lair.

Instead, something much more interesting arrived for him. Something made of elegant crimson curves, luscious black hair, and danger. _Oh,_ so much delightful danger.

"Huh. Well, hello again beautiful," he smirked, tossing his shoulders back and placing both hands on his cane. "And what brings you to my humble abode? I thought you'd absconded off to do other, no doubt _important_ things for whatever your secret master plan is."

"Plans change," Cinder Fall said tersely, her high heels clicking as she strode up to Roman and her amber eyes glinting in the afternoon sunlight streaming through the warehouse windows. They even seemed to glow from within as her sleek red dress swirled around her thighs.

Roman blinked. Just a trick of the light. "Change, how exactly?"

"Things are being… accelerated," Cinder said after a moment's consideration. Her gaze shifted to the small stack of Dust cases off in a dark corner. "We will need much more Dust than originally planned. And in _much_ less time."

"How much exactly is 'more'?"

Amber eyes blinked once. "Twice the amount originally agreed on."

"I'm sorry," Roman said casually. His fingers tightened around the grip of his cane. "Did you just say you needed twice as much Dust as it takes to wipe a Kingdom completely off the map?"

Yellow eyes narrowed as they glared at him. He swore they glimmered unnaturally in the dark warehouse. "You should know I don't enjoy repeating myself, Torchwich."

A frustrated frown spread across the thief's pursed lips. He spread his arms before him dramatically. "Oh, right. Of course. Far be it from me to question your _masterful_ plans, which you still haven't told me any of the details about by the way. But maybe I'm just ever so slightly annoyed that you somehow expect me to _magically_ find enough extra Dust lying around to equip an entire army for you."

"Oh, I know. Maybe I can pull some out of my hat!" He swept the bowler from head, reaching into the satin lined interior only to draw his hand out grasping nothing but air. "Drat, that one always works when I want a rabbit. Hasn't worked with those Faunus though."

Red hot irons clamped around his wrist, catching his arm. His hat drifted to the floor. Roman tried to pull his hand back only to find the smaller woman's grip held him firmly in place. "Does this look like a game to you, Roman?"

"It would look a hell of a lot less like one if you had any appreciation for what I'm doing here," Roman growled. He shook off her hand and waved to the table full of schemes behind him.

"You wanted an insane amount of Dust in less than a year, but thanks to _my_ genius I found a way to spread that all out so we didn't end up with the combined Hunter Corps of every single Kingdom knocking at our door. Now you want twice that amount. Surely that won't be too hard," Roman spat. "Are you delusional or just idiotic?"

Boiling heat smashed into Roman, engulfing him within painfully uncomfortable warmth. The air between them warped in hazy waves. Angry eyes pierced the thief and, despite the sweat already starting to roll down his face, a shiver ran up his back.

"Do not toy with me, Roman." She waltzed closer and flickering embers crackled in her footsteps. Her words were soft and deadly "The game has changed and that means I still have time to remove you from the board."

He couldn't hold back a hiss as a single finger traced a scalding line down the side of his throat. Her other hand clamped down on his shoulder. Try as he might, he couldn't move an inch.

" _Permanently_ remove." The finger stopped over the center of his chest. The smell of burning cloth wafted to his nose. "Cut out the middleman, you might say. Something I'd personally have little issue with in this case."

Roman swallowed anxiously, bright orange hair sticking to the sweat covering his forehead. "Now, now. Let's not be too hasty…"

"On the contrary, dear Roman," she said softly. Agony raced over his chest as she pressed down harder. He grit his teeth and bit his tongue so hard he tasted blood. Any moment the fire would pierce his heart. "Haste is the exact reason I'm here."

And suddenly the fiery brand vanished, along with the stifling heat. Cool midnight air rushed over the burning dot in the center of his torso and the master thief almost collapsed to his knees, catching himself at the last second with his cane.

Cinder stared out the window at the shattered moon drifting slowly through the afternoon sky, seemingly unconcerned.

"Luckily for you, you still have some amount of use to us." Roman glared at Cinder's exposed, tattooed back, briefly contemplating taking a chance and firing Melodic Cudgel at her while she stood unaware. The backfire from the explosion might just be worth teaching the girl a lesson.

"Great," he bit out past a clenched jaw. "Just what I've always wanted to hear. I'll be a right productive member of society at this rate."

"Don't flatter yourself," she shot back. Cinder spun and leaned forward, offering the man a tantalizing view while placing a pair of fingers beneath Roman's chin. "You will do as you are ordered, or you will find out exactly how costly betrayal can be."

"Don't make useless promises, gorgeous. You might leave a man desperate and wanting," Roman said with a strained smirk and a pointed glance down.

She glared down at him. And he glared right back as he growled. "Better yet, don't make worthless threats you can't keep either. We both know if you could've killed me, you would've just done it right here. Right now. But you can't, because you need me."

Cinder tilted her head to the side. She hummed, "I'm not threatening _you_ , Torchwick."

The grin faded from Roman's lips and his cheeks paled tremendously. Point made, Cinder released the thief's chin and stood, striding over to the table. She glanced over the numerous maps and itineraries scattered across it.

"Continue with your plans, keeping in mind the new quantity required," Cinder said imperiously, brushing some of the papers aside and seating herself on the table with one toned leg crossed over the other. "I trust you'll find a way to make sure we are satisfied."

Roman struggled back to his feet, one hand pressing down on the searing dot scarred into his chest. "I'll need a lot more men."

A dark eyebrow raised. "Then hire them."

"That costs money. Money that I don't have right now. At least not on the scale you need things done," Roman said.

Cinder waved a dismissive hand. "Money is not an issue."

"Maybe not for you, sweetheart, but money's kind of just ever so slightly important for me. To get the kind of Dust you want, I need ships and storage, which requires pilots and guards. Then I need to hire a bunch of grunts to help me move things around because let me tell you, I am not doing all the heavy lifting myself."

"Roman…" His name dropped from her full lips in a dangerous growl. He waved a hand dismissively at her.

"Relax. Surprisingly, I'm not actually trying to con you this time. I'm just being straight about our situation. Thievery requires a bit of money to throw around, you know," He said with a roll of his eyes. "No need to get all 'fire and brimstone' with me again."

He stooped over, snatching his bowler from the floor. With a quick dust-off, he sat it back on his head, making sure to sweep his bangs off to the side. "Oh, and let's not forget that I need a crew to start running these heists. Competent ones. My last bunch of idiots got themselves arrested thanks to a stupid kid."

"Gonna' need a lot of them, too. An average Hunter is worth a dozen muscleheads. And mark my words, we _are_ going to be getting chased by Hunters," Roman groaned, more to himself than his present company. "At this rate, I'm going to need to rob the Vale First National Bank just to have the cash handy for this little venture of ours."

"That can be arranged."

"That was a joke, honey-eyes," Roman scoffed, hesitating at the withering glare Cinder shot his way. "O-kay, not big on the nicknames, clearly. Point is, getting our grubby little hands on this amount of Dust is not going to be cheap. Lien truly does make the world go 'round."

"I have a certain amount of leverage with the White Fang. Consider them a third partner to this business agreement of ours," Cinder informed him, idly grabbing one his plans and crumpling it into a ball of scrap paper. "They will provide the manpower and ships you need. Free of charge, in fact."

"You know what, I'm not even going to question how you're planning on pulling off that little trick. Because I really should be, you know." Roman insisted. "That kind of manipulation is useful in my line of work."

"I will require a favor from you, however," Cinder admitted, with a sliver of visible reluctance.

"Oh?" He smirked, puffing out his chest just a touch. Cinder Fall asking for a favor was a special sight, one he planned to cherish for a long while. "And what can the master thief do for you, Miss Fall?"

A scroll spun through the air towards his face, and he only managed to pluck it out of the air at the last second before it slammed into his nose. He scowled at her, flicking the device open as she tapped a finger against the table in some unknown beat.

"There are eight names and basic vitals for a few specific Hunters on that scroll," Cinder explained. "I want every single scrap of information you can find on them. Initiation recordings. Mission reports. Grades. Idle gossip. Anything you find that references those eight names."

Roman swiped through the short list within moments. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Is there a problem, Roman?"

"It's a bunch of brats!" Roman exclaimed, letting the scroll click shut again. "These are all just school kids. No way that third one's even old enough to _go_ to a Hunter Academy yet. She's probably still sucking her thumb in some crummy combat school. How are they _possibly_ important?"

"That doesn't matter," Cinder said with a shake of head. "Not to you. Just do your digging and forward any information you find on them directly to me. No one else."

"Hell, they might not even pass Initiation. That only just happened today, you know," Roman tossed the Scroll back and forth between his hands before sliding it open once more. "Besides, blonde and scraggly here doesn't seem like he's cut out to actually be a Huntsman."

"He'll have passed. They'll _all_ have passed."

"And how are you so sure, hmm? They're snot-nosed brats," Roman growled. "They don't even know how to tie their shoelaces together."

"And yet, wasn't it just a schoolgirl who caused you such issues a few nights ago?" Cinder asked rhetorically, enjoying the dark scowl that spread over Torchwick's face. "You don't need to know the why's, Roman. Just obey."

"In return, I believe I can be of some help when it comes to accomplishing your heists," Cinder said, speaking over Roman's disgruntled and clearly less than happy mumbling.

Roman snorted. "You?"

"Me."

"Sorry, but how exactly are you going to help?"

"You said it yourself," Cinder said with a grim smile. "A Huntress is worth a dozen mindless foot soldiers."

The crumpled paper she still cradled in her hand suddenly burst into flames, swirling into an amorphous fireball floating gently over the woman's open palm.

"And I am so much more than a simple Huntress."

* * *

 **Seriously, I haven't written less than 6000 words since chapter 4 and I'm averaging 9800 thanks to the 17,000 monstrosity that was chapter 6. While I'm sure you guys don't care and love more to read, I have no idea what happened to my 4,000 word thought process. I was young and naive those few months ago...**

 **The plot thickens, things are changing. Lot of dangling threads in this chapter for things to come, both in the next few chapters and in the long term. Cookies to whoever can accurately find and guess them.**

 **And some positive Ruby-Weiss interaction! Writing it feels like eating cotton candy dipped in barbed wire made of sarcasm and cynicism.**

 **So last chapter's reaction was a little crazier than I expected, mostly because I forgot the first rule of fanfics: Shipping is serious business. So, to put to rest a lot of it, this fic is, as its always planned to be, decidedly White Rose. But it's also probably on the slowest end of slow burn. Cause let's be real, right now Ruby is mentally somewhere between the ages of 15 and 27, and to Weiss they met approx. 24 hours ago tops. Half of which Weiss only knew Ruby as "That girl that blew me up." Also both have some personal problems going on. Also also, other characters can and will be getting involved with each other as they interact and develop. Who and when I won't say yet, but any good story should be as much about the relationships between the characters as it is about the characters dealing with the plot. And oh boy, are the character relationships in Crimson Memories going to _drastically_ affect everything? (Rhetorical, because yes, yes they are.)**

 **To be fair, the Romance tag may have been misleading, so I have since changed that. Does that mean there isn't romance here? Absolutely not, but I don't want readers to expect something I didn't intended to fulfill on. Pride and Prejudice this decidedly ain't. If you are one of those, I apologize fully. The fault is completely mine.**

 **Also, to the now disappointed Lancaster lovers, never fear, for I may or may not be working on and shopping around for a beta soon for something involving that. Potentially. Maybe. No promises.**

 **Overlord Swarm Departs.**


	11. Lost Leaders

**Story first, self-indulgent AN later. BTW, Prologue has also been rewritten but is not required to re-read**

* * *

 **Lost Leaders**

* * *

"So I told him that he can't handle a girl this hot without getting burned. Then I lit myself on fire with my Semblance. You can bet that was the last time he tried to grab my butt."

Blake shook her head as she walked down the hallway with her new partner at her side, a bowl of fish soup clutched tight in her hands. She'd been ecstatic to the point of nearly drooling all over the table when Yang pointed out the pot to her.

The same Yang who somehow kept up an entirely one sided conversation the the entire trip to the cafeteria and back. Blake wondered if the girl even stopped to breath at times. She filled the air with all kinds of pointless stories and absolutely terrible jokes.

"Why all the extra food," Blake asked, finally breaking her silence after listening to Yang babble on endlessly for the past fifteen minutes. "I know Huntresses need a lot of calories, but don't you think you're overdoing it a little?"

"Aw, you looking out for my figure?" Yang said with a wink that Blake deigned to only acknowledge with a roll of her eyes. "It's not for me, silly. I eat a lot, yeah, but no where _near_ this much."

"So why exactly did you grab all of that?" Blake asked drily, waving a hand at the extra bowls of stew Yang had haphazardly balanced together in a somewhat impressive architectural wonder. "And why are we bringing it back to the hospital?"

"I knew it!" Yang shouted, spinning around. Blake eyed the leaning tower of stew bowls as they wobbled dangerously close to her head. "I knew you weren't listening to me!"

"I- what?" Blake asked in alarm as Yang shoved an accusing finger towards her. Her pulse quickened, and she instinctively hunched over to make herself a smaller target. "No, I swear I was listening. About what's-his-name? And something about fire?"

Yang glared at her for a second longer, finger still pointing in wordless accusation before she started to snicker. Blake scowled as her blonde partner broke into outright laughter, trying to silently calm her own ragged breathing.

"Oh wow, you looked so worried there for a second, Blakey," Yang forced out between laughs. "Dust, I didn't expect you to freak out so much."

"Yang..." Blake growled in warning, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment painting her cheeks. She blinked, startled when Yang suddenly nudged her with her hip.

"Hey there," Yang said with a friendly smile. "I'm just trying to get you to relax a little is all. Letting your hair down won't kill you, ya' know."

"Easy for someone like you to say," Blake muttered bitterly. "Relaxing out in the Wilds only gets you killed, or worse.."

The Faunus clapped a hand to her mouth the second the words slipped past her lips, but she still watched as Yang hesitated and her cheerful strut came to an abrupt halt. An uncomfortable silence descended on the pair for the first time.

"I mean, uh…" Blake trailed off.

Yang silently worked her jaw, searching for a response. The two new partners stared at each other, at a loss for words. Blake cursed her own, traitorous tongue.

"Well, hello awkward moment, I'm Yang. Nice to meet you," Yang said quietly after a moment. Blake turned to apologize to the other girl.

"Yang, I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. I kinda' put my foot in my mouth on that one too. I think that's gonna' come with the whole 'new partner' territory at first. Probably best if we just move past it, yeah?" the blonde said with a small smile. "So, to answer your question, we're getting this food for everyone else."

"Everyone else?" Blake repeated dumbly.

"Well, there were eight of us. Ruby's off talking with Professor Ozpin, prissy little Princess is probably getting her nails done again," Yang said. "That still leaves four other people who were in that screw up of an Initiation. So..."

Yang hefted her tower of stew yet again. "Four extra bowls for the others. Simple math."

"But you don't even know them," Blake pointed out.

"Doesn't matter," Yang said with a shake of her head. "They fought and almost died with us. In my book, that makes us at least friends."

"Right..." Blake said hesitantly.

Yang swung her lilac gaze over to Blake with a playful glint in her eye, half questioning and half accusing. "You do know what _friends_ are, yeah?"

"Yes, of course," Blake scoffed, "Why would you even ask that?"

Yang kept her eyes locked on Blake's despite still walking forward with her arms filled with their haul from the cafeteria. That level of confidence was either impressive or bordered on reckless, Blake thought.

Yang raised a single blonde eyebrow. "Really?"

"What are you giving me that look for?" Blake frowned, "Stop that."

The other eyebrow joined it's twin in disbelief. " _Reaaally?"_

Finally Blake cracked, "Fine! I didn't have any time for friends. I mostly read books to stay busy when I could get my hands on them."

"Ha," Yang crowed, "I knew it."

"Whatever," Blake growled, trying to push past her partner. To her displeasure, the blonde kept an even pace next to her, even with the tower of bowls clutched in her arms.

"Well, the first rule of having friends is making sure they're not hungry. _Especially_ after fighting Grimm."

"Your parents expect you and your friends to fight Grimm a lot?" Blake asked, more to direct the conversation away from her own past then any real interest. "That's not something I'd expect from a family living in a kingdom, much less living in Vale.

"I grew up on Patch actually," Yang said. Blake filed away that little detail. "It's pretty peaceful being an island and all, but it's still got its own fair share of danger."

"And it's something that my, uh," Yang trailed off. Blake barely noticed the blonde biting down hard on the inside of her cheek, but the tiny action pulled her attention.

"Let's just say it's something someone special taught me a long time ago and leave it at that, okay?"

The unexpected hitch in Yang's voice caught Blake off guard. "Yang...?"

Yang glanced at her briefly from beneath her long bangs, eyes piercing through Blake.

The Faunus blinked. When did Yang's eyes turn crimson? A shiver climbed its way up her spine. The unexpected angry gaze caught Blake off guard, forcibly reminding her of the way Ruby Rose glared at her during Initiation. The family resemblance, and the unnatural sense of danger that radiated off both girls, was undeniable.

Blake dropped her gaze submissively, something she'd grown increasingly accustomed to doing before she left the White Fang, keeping it away from the furious crimson until Yang turned away.

The Faunus watched the girl in front of her surreptitiously, noting the way her shoulders tensed. Yang sighed, and the tension drained away. Blake jumped when Yang turned around suddenly, but the blonde's eyes only held an apology.

"Sorry, Blake. It's not something I like talking about a lot," Yang said, flashing a weak grin over her shoulder. "Any chance we can add it to the list of things we don't want to bring up yet?"

Bake offered her an uncertain smile in return. If her new partner was willing to let Blake's secrets stay hidden without question, then she surely could do the same for Yang. "Of course."

"Thanks, partner. Oh, we're here!"

Blake smashed into the blonde's back, almost spilling her precious soup all over. She hissed as a drop of the priceless liquid slipped over the edge of her bowl and splattered on the floor. Then Yang's words registered in her head. "How do you know?"

"Oh, I just know everything because I am the ultimate Huntress," Yang said with the cheesiest grin Blake had ever seen. She simply stared at the blonde. "Okay fine, rain on my parade, party-pooper. I checked the directory in my Scroll. Here!"

Yang tossed half of her collection of food at Blake. it was only thanks to the slight warning and the Faunus' own well honed reflexes that allowed her to catch each bowl without dropping any of them or her own soup.

"Yang, what-?"

"Wow, that was super cool. You were like a ninja," Yang gushed, before pursing her lips and thinking. "Is it racist to say you have _cat_ -like reflexes?"

"Yang..." Blake growled.

"Okay, sheesh. Kill a girl for trying to lighten the mood."

"Yang!"

That's the room with the green ninja guy and the pink haired girl with the mega hammer, Ren and Nora I think?" Yang cut Blake off, stabbing a thumb at the door nearest them on the left side of the hall. "You were the one helping them out, so I figured they could probably use a friendly face."

The thoughtfulness of it caught Blake by surprise and her frustration with her partner drained away. She asked dubiously. "Do you think they'd even want to see me?"

"Well, duh!" Yang cried, "You're the one who saved Nora right? I bet they can't wait to thank you. So get your butt in there before I throw you in."

"You're a nuisance," Blake sighed as she pushed the door open. "I want it noted that I'm doing this under duress."

"Yeah, yeah, you love me anyway, Blakey." Yang shot back, holding the door for her partner and closing it behind the Faunus after she entered the room. "Have fun!"

Blake shook her head wryly, glancing around the sparse hospital room before settling on the pair of curious pink eyes watching her entrance from the sole bed in the center of the room. Recognition flashed in them as they focused on Blake's face.

Blake's own gaze roamed over the tall, shirtless boy, taking in the crimson stained bandages wrapped around his right shoulder. She also noted the multitude of other scars dotting his skin. They ranged rather drastically in size from a mere white line marring his arm to a larger ropy scar that wound it's way up the side of his torso like an angry dragon.

A vague flicker of jealousy burned ever so briefly in her heart at the way he could so easily expose all his scars to the world, without shame or fear. Her own were closely guarded secrets, each the mark of a story she would never, _could never_ , tell. Ren wore his own as badges of honor where she hid hers like record of her sins they were.

She shook away those less than pleasant thoughts, lifting the stew in her hands up. "I brought food-"

She cut herself off abruptly when Ren suddenly raised a finger to his lips. He silently pointed down.

Confused, Blake followed his finger. A splash of recognizable ginger hair lay in his lap. Nora curled around Ren's legs, clutching them tightly in her arms. Her torso rose and fell silently, slowly.

"I brought food," Blake said again, this time in barely a whisper. She lifted the bowls in her hand. "Just some stew. Do you want some?"

Ren nodded, accepting the offered food. He took a bite, pausing to savor the thick flavors. A small, contented smile crossed his face.

Blake stood uncertainly, still holding the other bowl of stew awkwardly. She glanced at Nora's sleeping form. "Should we wake her up or...?"

"No, she only just fell asleep five minutes. I'm enjoying the silence," Ren whispered. He ran a thumb gently through her hair and the girl snuggled closer to his legs with a tightening grip. "Though she will be quite frustrated with me when she realizes I let her sleep through your visit, Blake."

Blake's gaze shot back to Ren, startled. "You know my name?"

Ren gave her a tiny half-smirk. "Your partner, Yang, I believe? She's rather loud."

Blake sighed. Her cheeks heated as she placed the second bowl on the bedside table. "Confound it, Yang..."

"I understand completely," Ren assured her, gesturing at the chair next to the bed in invitation, "This is the quietest I think I've ever seen Nora, and I've known her almost my entire life."

"And I've barely known Yang for a day and I'm ready to pull my hair out," Blake complained good-naturedly. She sat in the ridge chair, taking her first bite of the fish soup. Her tastebuds sang its glories to her.

Ren smiled at Blake. "You'll adjust."

They fell into a companionable silence as they each ate, letting the warmth of the fresh meal infuse their bodies. But when her spoon started to scrape the empty side of her bowl, Blake finally asked the niggling question that grew in the back of her mind.

"Why would she be upset that you let her sleep?"

Ren swallowed his last bite. He reached to place the bowl on his nightstand only to wince as his shoulder refused to support the weight and the ceramic slipped from his fingers.

Blake caught the bowl before it fell and shattered, placing it safely to the side. She frowned. "And shouldn't the doctors have healed your shoulder with Aura by now?"

Ren shook his head. "Unfortunately, the Elder Grimm had one last secret. Something about its essence prevents the wound from healing. It rejects Aura."

That shouldn't have been possible, Blake thought to herself. The idea was chilling at the very least. One of humanity's greatest strengths in face of the Grimm was their ability to survive and heal all but the most fatal of wounds through only the power of their own souls.

She even knew quite a few White Fang foot soldiers who wouldn't still be alive if not for the healing properties of Aura.

"That's… That's horrifying," Blake whispered. She shuddered to think what could happen if the more common types of Grimm started to exhibit the same capability. The creatures could push Humanity even farther back into its crevices and strongholds.

"I believe I'll consider myself the lucky one," Ren said, touching his bandage briefly. "Even healing the old fashioned way will not take long. Not everyone was as fortunate."

He rested the hand back in Nora's hair, still gently running his fingers through it. "As for why Nora would be upset. She wanted to be the first to thank you and she'll be quite cross that I was able to first"

Blake blinked dumbly. "Thank me for what?"

Ren leaned forward in bed, his pink eyes piercing her. "Blake, you saved Nora's life. Twice."

She blinked again, asking expectantly. "Twice?"

"And mine as well. When she was injured, I was not thinking clearly," Ren admitted slowly. A shadow, something dark and haunting, passed over his expression. "I behaved… foolishly. And it quite nearly cost us our lives."

His gaze focused again and he looked at Blake. "If you hadn't helped when she dislocated her arm, I would've either passed out trying to heal her, or fell to the horde of Grimm when they reached us."

Blake sat stock still in the chair.

"And during the explosion," Ren leaned back against the pillow, wincing both when he jostled his shoulder and when Nora snorted and shifted in her sleep. "You protected Nora when I couldn't."

"I just reacted. I didn't really think..." Blake muttered, wondering who she was trying to justify herself to.

"It doesn't matter," Ren said, "You still saved her."

Blake watched as he ran his hand through Nora's hair again. She shifted, a soft smile spreading across her face.

"Have you ever had a true partner before?" Ren asked quietly. "Someone you trusted with your life and beyond?"

Blake froze. Adam floated to the forefront of her thoughts. His old, crooked smiles. The warm meals she'd find waiting beside her bedroll after training or on their early missions.

Then his uncaring, angry eyes glaring down at her from behind the Grimm mask he started to wear at all time as she struggled to stand, to prove she wasn't a waste. Cold steel drawing lines of fire across her skin.

" _What about the crew members?"_

" _What about them?"_

"I used to think I did..." Blake admitted softly. She clenched her hands in her lap, nails biting into the fabric of her leggings.

Ren paused. He looked down at the girl sleeping on top of his legs. He spoke just as softly. "A true partner means the world to you, Blake. I would simply not be able to live the same without her."

"And you saved her," he said, returning his gaze to Blake. "For that, I owe you a debt that I can't repay. We both do."

"It's nothing," Blake tried to dismiss the very idea. Her foot tapped at the floor, filled with a need to move. To do something.

" _Pathetic."_

"It's everything," Ren shot back quickly. "To us, at least it is. I have nothing else to offer. So thank you, Blake. For saving her. If you ever need anything, please just let us know."

Blake stood abruptly, the buzzing that filled her chest driving her mad. She mechanically collected the two empty bowls, words tumbling from her mouth faster than she could string them together. "I have to go. Need to go. To check on my partner, Yang. I'll let her know you're both okay. Goodbye."

Wind rushing in her air as the train pulled away, Adam's betrayed eyes glaring at her from beneath his mask.

" _Goodbye."_

She nearly sprinted from the room, her chest heaving as she hyperventilated, under Ren's curious gaze.

* * *

Yang nudged the door into Jaune's hospital room open with a finger, unsurprised at the bright red hair spread messily across his sheets. Pyrrha sat in the only chair in the room, her face pressed awkwardly against the mattress next to Jaune's body. Her chest rose and fell, with the tiniest whistle escaping her lips.

The boy himself lay motionless in his bed, bloody bandages wrapped around his chest. His skin was so incredibly pale and his body so eerily still that Yang could have sworn she was staring at a corpse if it weren't for the soft beeps of the heartbeat monitor.

But he was alive, at least for now. And that's what mattered in the end. Yang learned that one from experience.

The blonde slipped inside, careful to keep the stew in her hand level lest she spill it all over the floor. Tiptoeing her way across the room, she slid the bowls onto the nightstand. She rubbed a hand up and down the Mistrali's shoulder.

"Pyrrha?" She called softly in the other girl's ear, "Hey, Pyrrha, wake up."

The girl awoke with a jerk. She snapped upright in her chair, blinking sleep from her eyes as she glanced around somewhat wildly. "Jaune…?"

"Sorry, Superstar, just me. I brought food though," Yang said. She nabbed a bowl and waved it towards Pyrrha, letting the warm aroma of the stew waft to her nose.

The delicious smell cut through the haze that shrouded Pyrrha's mind. Yang smirked, watching the girl's pupils zero in on the source of the scent even as she tried to respond. "Oh, thank you… Yang, was it?"

"Yup, though we weren't actually introduced. Kinda' busying killing Grimm earlier. And not dying. That stuff usually takes a priority." Yang waved the bowl back and forth, watching Pyrrha tracking it intently. "You seem a little hungry there, Superstar."

"It has been a while since I ate," Pyrrha said distractedly. Yang jerked the bowl back and forth, giggling as Pyrrha's head followed suit. Wasn't that just adorable?

"Here, eat. Before you end up biting my hand," Yang said, thrusting the stew towards the champion.

Uncoordinated hands accepted the proffered bowl, and the Mistrali took a massive spoonful of the thick liquid. Yang bit back a loud snort as the redhead devoured the simple meal in seconds, sending tiny droplets of stew sailing through the air. "Geeze, not one for table manners, are ya'? You must be starving."

Pyrrha paused suddenly and her cheeks exploded with a blush just the right shade to match her hair.

Yang snickered when Pyrrha tried to surreptitiously wipe the excess stew from her lips only to make even worse of a mess. Taking pity on the tournament champion, Yang handed her one of the napkins she nabbed from Beacon's kitchens as well.

"I'm so sorry," Pyrrha said after wiping her mouth, "You must think I'm quite uncouth."

Yang laughed. "Nah, nothin' worse than my baby sister. That girl can't eat anything without making the biggest mess possible."

The blonde pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "Actually, she kinda' makes a mess out of everything. I guess you probably noticed that during Initiation though."

Pyrrha tilted her head to the side, pondering. "Your sister would be…?"

"Ruby, cute little brat in a cloak with the giant scythe. Ring any bells?"

Green eyes widened. "She is your _little_ sister? How old is she?"

Yang smirked. She enjoyed taking pride in Ruby's accomplishments. "Only fifteen."

Pyrrha blinked and stared at Yang in surprised. "Fifteen…?"

Yang laughed. "I know, right? She's only fifteen and she's already showing me up in everything. Rubes' always been a bit of a prodigy though."

Maybe even more than Yang originally thought. She always knew Ruby was skilled beyond her age, but the way she danced around the Griffon during Initiation unnerved Yang. Particularly how incredibly easily Ruby accepted a massive scar across her face in order to trade strikes with the monster. It reminded her of someone else, though Yang couldn't place who.

"She's not just a prodigy," Pyrrha mused.

"Sorry, what?" Yang said, torn from her own thoughts.

"Well, it may be that Ruby is much more than a simple prodigy, if one can call being a prodigy 'simple'," Pyrrha explained further.

"It may sound rather boastful of me, but I am extremely skilled," Pyrrha explained. "There's a reason I'm a four time tournament winner. But Ruby fights like some of the veteran hunters I've had the opportunity to train with, not a Huntress still in training."

"I'm not really following," Yang admitted. Pyrrha sit her empty bowl aside, clasping her hands in her lap as she considered her next words.

"It's mostly in the way she moves," the redhead started off slowly, contemplatively, "There's a… a familiarity I'd say, in it. The way she dodges or strikes, so completely sure of herself. It's not unlikely how my old combat instructor moved."

"Was he super badass?" Yang asked curiously, sitting on the edge of Jaune's hospital bed down by his feet. "Cause I'll be honest. Don't see how a pipsqueak like Rubes is gonna' match up with a super badass like twice her height."

"Not at all actually. My teacher was, well, remarkably unremarkable," Pyrrha said, "But he fought with a such a practiced ease. He once told me that a true warrior must know themselves as well as their enemy, and it was because he knew his own abilities so intimately that he simply never doubted what he could or could not do in a battle."

"And ya' think Ruby fights the same way?" Yang asked. Pyrrha shook her head.

"I know she does. Against that Griffon, Ruby threw herself at it without fear. She fights just like my teacher, like someone with years of experience," Pyrrha summarized. "To be honest, it's rather inspiring, in a way. I'd admire her for it."

"Sounds like you got a bit of a crush on my baby sis', there," Yang said slyly, smirking at the embarrassed blush blooming on Pyrrha's face.

"I what-!? No, I didn't mean admire like that! Just that she's worthy of admiration for how well she fights! Not that she's not worthy of being admired in other ways, but I didn't actually mean-" Pyrrha stammered, before cutting herself off and burying her face in her hands.

"Relax, I'm just messin' with ya'," Yang laughed, smacking the Mistrali on the shoulder. "Though she could do a lot worse than a Mistral Tournament Champion."

"I shall pretend I only heard the first part of that," Pyrrha mumbled into her fingers. "For my own sanity at least."

Yang chuckled, sliding the extra bowl of stew she'd brought for Jaune onto the bedside table. "You can pretend all you want, Superstar. How's sleeping beauty doing?"

Pyrrha stared morosely at the comatose blond boy. "His heart is steady, but he still hasn't moved. If he weren't still breathing, he'd look de…"

The Mistrali trailed off, unable to bring herself to utter the last word for fear that simply saying it might make it a reality.

"Hey now," Yang said softly, "Don't go burying him just yet. He's gonna' get through this."

"How can you be sure?" Pyrrha asked quietly, her gaze drifting off to the crimson stained bandages on his chest.

"I'm not, not really," Yang said, shrugging at the redhead when she whipped her head back around in surprise. "But Arc's a fighter. He wouldn't have gotten into Beacon if he wasn't. You just gotta' believe in him"

"You make a good point," Pyrrha admitted with a long sigh. "I just worry."

"That's natural," Yang said, "I worry about Ruby all the time. But I believe in her too. She's strong and she can take care of herself. And when she can't, that's when I'm there to beat the crap out of whatever the problem is."

She waved a hand towards Jaune. "Hero boy is the same. You gotta' believe he can get through this, and then be there when he can't. Heck, I'll help you with that, I owe Jaune too."

Pyrrha shot Yang a watery smile. "Thank you, Yang."

"Hey, what are friends for right?" Yang chuckled, grinning at the redhead.

Pyrrha "We're friends?"

Yang pursed her lips "Well yeah, you don't nearly die fighting Grimm together without being friends afterwards."

"Is that… how making friends normally works?" Pyrrha asked hesitantly. Yang shook her long blonde mane.

"I mean it's always worked well for me," she said, tilting her head quizzically, "Why? How did you make friends up till now?"

The Mistrali shuffled her feet, clutching her hands self consciously in her lap. "Yang, I… While I may have been gifted with above average abilities in combat, I've always been somewhat wanting in terms of social grace."

Yang blinked. "Uh, sorry, meaning what exactly?"

"I've never actually had friends before," Pyrrha said with strained smile. "I'm rather... inexperienced when it comes to this."

"Huh. First Blake, now you. Maybe it's a Beacon thing," Yang muttered to herself.

"I'm sorry…?" Pyrrha asked

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking out loud," Yang said with a dismissive gesture. Then she smiled, wide and bright, and clapped Pyrrha on the shoulder. "Of course we're friends, Superstar."

Ever so slowly a tiny, hesitant grin spread across Pyrrha's face. "Thank you, Yang."

"Not just me either. I know Jaune wants to be your friend. I mean he's your partner how can't he?" Yang rambled, "Oh, we can get my partner Blake too. And I bet Ruby could use another friend."

Yang dropped her voice to a conspiratorily whisper and leaned closer to Pyrrha. "She's probably as bad at making friends as you are. But no funny business, Arkos. I know you got a crush on her."

Pyrrha froze briefly before she started to giggle quietly into her hands. "Yang, you are impossible."

"I try."

The door creaking open grabbed both their attention and a single silver eye peered through the thin gap.

"Huh," Yang mused, "Speak of the devil. Hey Rubes."

The blonde winced as the door swung wide, revealing Ruby's blood encrusted face and the new scar slicing its way across her nose and cheek. Heat stirred in her chest and Yang clenched her fists tight., desperately trying to control her temper.

"Hi Yang, Pyrrha," Ruby said quietly, padding softly into the room. "How's Jaune doing? Did he wake up yet?"

Yang grit her teeth, exhaling slowly and hoping her eyes wouldn't flash angry red. Ruby was safe, she told herself over and over, Ruby was okay.

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not yet, but he's been resting."

"And his…" Ruby trailed off as she stopped by the far side of Jaune's bed, pointing to the bloody wrappings around Jaune's chest. Pyrrha shook her head.

"It's still not responding to Aura. The doctors said he should live, but if he doesn't wake up…" the Mistrali trailed off, looking down at the floor miserably.

"He'll make it through this," Ruby said, with such surety even Yang felt herself nodding in agreement. "I know he will. You just gotta' believe in him, Pyrrha."

Ruby's unabashed faith helped push down her protective instincts. Yang shot the redheaded warrior a smirk and mouthed, "Told you so."

Ruby suddenly appeared in front of both of them in a swirl of petals. The shorter girl looked them up and down critically even as Yang leapt to her feet. "You both look better. You got something to eat right Pyrrha?"

"Ruby!" Yang hissed. Pyrrha nodded her head in answer and lifted the empty soup bowl. "You can't just waste your Aura on your Semblance like that when you're still healing."

"Surprisingly, that's exactly what I said to her," a dry voice said from the door.

Yang bit her lip as bubbling anger built in her chest again. This time, she had less of a desire to control it whatsoever. She glared at the white haired _girl_ standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and nose upturned. "What do you care, Schnee?"

Icy blue eyes meet her gaze, flinching as Yang's shifted between red and violet. Yang smirked. Point to her. "Because she's my partner, Xiao-long. I wouldn't be able to graduate Beacon without her, so I need to make sure she takes care of herself."

Yang straightened to her full height, a considerable head above the smaller Heiress, and crossed her arms in just the right way to make her biceps bulge. "I think you might have a few other problems graduating."

She tapped a pondering finger against her lips. "Like, maybe learning the difference between fire and ice dust? That'd probably be a good place to start, don't ya' think?"

Weiss inhaled sharply, nails biting into the sides of her arms. Yang watched her arm spasm towards the sword hilt at her waist, a vein throbbing in Weiss' temple.

Exhaling slowly, the blonde let the fire building inside start to spread. Ember floated from the tips of her hair, casting flickering shadows across the room even in the mid afternoon sun cutting in through the windows. "If you wanna' pick up where we left off earlier, be my guest."

"Yang, stop it."

The blonde frowned. Ruby stepped directly in front of her, mouth set in a hard line. She stared down at her baby sister. "What?"

"Stop trying to pick a fight with Weiss," Ruby said sternly. She poked Yang in the chest. "You promised me you wouldn't fight, remember?"

Yang glanced between Ruby and Weiss. She huffed. "Technically I said I wouldn't fight her during Initiation, but fine. It's probably not worth my time anyway."

She let her Aura sink back into her body, snuffing out the little flames licking at the edges of her blonde locks. Grabbing a chair from beside Pyrrha, she collapsed into a relaxed slouch and kicked her feet up onto the edge of Jaune's bed. "But just 'cause you gotta' pretend to be nice to her cause she's your partner doesn't mean I gotta'."

"I'm not pretending," Ruby insisted with a frustrated pout. Yang blew her bangs out with a disbelieving sigh.

"Whatever ya' say, Rubes. It'll be our little secret," Yang said, closing her eyes.

Ruby growled, turning away from her sister and standing next to Pyrrha at Jaune's side. He cautiously slipped her hand in his, leaning over and reaching out to place her palm against the boy's forehead.

"He still feels like he's overheating," she whispered.

Weiss stepped hesitantly into the hospital room, making her way over to the far side of Jaune's bed. She glanced at the vital monitors before looking to Pyrrha. "Has there been any improvement in his status?"

Pyrrha shook her head sadly. "No, but he made it through the operation which is a good sign. Now, we must simply wait for him to wake up."

Weiss chewed the inside of her cheek. "Pyrrha, if there's anything I can do to help, maybe with the hospital bills or something, just say the word and I'll have them taken care of."

The Mistrali sent her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Weiss, but I believe Beacon is responsible for covering any costs. One of the benefits of being a Huntsman in training."

Weiss seemed taken aback. "Oh, right. Of course. I mean, that would make sense considering the prestigiousness of an academy like Beacon. I'd expect them to place a priority on their students"

"Yeah, surprisingly you can't just throw your money at everything to make it better," Yang quipped, still with her eyes shut.

"Yang."

"Oh c'mon Rubes. I'm not wrong," Yang said, opening one gimlet eye to stare at her baby sister. The shorter, crimson haired huntress frowned back at her. "Am I?"

"At least she's trying," Ruby shot back before Weiss could open her mouth to respond. The Heiress sent a dumbfounded look towards her new partner, unsure how to react to the younger girl leaping to her defense.

"Would've been awesome if she could've tried a little harder during Initiation…" Yang mumbled. Ruby either didn't hear her muttered discontent, or chose to ignore it. The younger girl slipped both hands into Jaune's, weaving her fingers between the blond's limp ones.

Weiss drew herself up to her full height, straightening her back and stepping stiffly towards the door. "Well, if there's anything else I can help with please let me know."

"Wait a sec, Weiss," Ruby exclaimed, "Where are you going?"

Weiss glanced back at Ruby over her shoulder. "I can see clearly where my company is not wanted, Rose-"

"Good riddance," Yang scoffed quietly. Pyrrha shot her an exasperated look.

"...But at least I will not make a nuisance of myself or disturb Arc while he's recovering," Weiss continued tersely, "Unlike _some_ people…"

Yang rocketed to her feet, the chair clattering on the floor behind her. "You wanna go, ya' little brat?"

"Yang!" Ruby said harshly. A pulse of Aura caught the other three Huntresses off guard, raising the hairs on the back of their necks and sending an eerie chill down their spines. "That's enough!"

Stunned, Yang stared into the stern silver eyes feeling like a guilty little girl with her hand caught in the cookie jar. She worked her mouth, searching for something to say. Disappointment weighed heavily on her shoulders as she stared into Summer's eyes.

"I…" Yang stuttered, only to halt as a groan broke the awkward silence. Gunmetal orbs spun away from Yang, and the blonde realized she could breathe again.

Jaune shifted in his bed for the first time in hours, groaning again as he moved his head. The heartrate monitor slowly started to beep faster. Fingers weakly gripped Ruby's.

"Jaune?" Ruby asked tentatively, squeezing his hand gently. Elation shot through her when his fingers weakly tightened around her own and a jolt of painfully familiar Aura ran up the length of her arm.

"Ruby…" Jaune croaked, his voice little more than a raspy whisper. Her face split into a massive, glowing smile.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby said, "You scared us pretty badly for a second there."

"Ruby… why can't I see?"

Ruby's heart plummeted into her boots.

For a brief moment. Then she sighed, covering her face in exasperation. "Jaune, you gotta' open your eyes first."

Silence filled the hospital room, only broken by the constant beeping of the equipment tracking Jaune's vitals. "Oh. Right"

"Superstar, I think your partner is a bit of an idiot," Yang stage whispered to Pyrrha. The other girl clamped a hand over her mouth in a futile attempt to stifle a fit of relieved giggles, moving from her chair to stand next to Ruby as Jaune's eyes cracked open.

"He might be, but I don't believe I would trade him for anything," the redhead said with a gentle smile. Sky blue eyes blinked through the haze, slowly focusing on them.

"Hey Pyrrha," Jaune said blearily. He glanced slowly around the room at Yang and Weiss. "Hey guys. Where are we?"

Jaune tried to sit up and a flash of pain exploded from his chest. Wincing, he slowly lowered himself back down. "And why do I feel like I got stabbed?"

The color drained from Pyrrha's face. Ruby poked her fingers together. "Well… uh, you see Jaune…"

"Because you were stabbed," Weiss said brusquely. "Well, impaled through the chest, to be more exact. You should consider yourself lucky to be alive."

"Weiss!" Ruby cried, turning to her partner "I was gonna' get to that part! Eventually…"

"There's no point in hiding the truth from him or pitying him," Weiss said coldly with a stern glance at her erstwhile partner. "He deserves to know exactly what happened."

Jaune stared at the Heiress, almost uncomprehendingly.

"I was… impaled?" He repeated. Weiss nodded.

Jaune looked down at his chest, finally noticing the thick, scratchy bandages wrapped around his torso. He touched the tips of his fingers to the red splotch in the center.

"That's where…" Jaune stumbled through the words around a thick tongue. The back of his throat tasted salty. "I almost died?"

Weiss nodded again. Jaune's face paled to a mottled gray and he swallowed shakily.

"Some bedside manner you got there, Princess," Yang said snidely. "Promise me you'll never be the one to give _me_ bad news."

Jaune lurched, sitting up abruptly and leaning towards the side of the bed. Pyrrha and Ruby, recognizing the danger, both twisted away as the blonde boy puked onto the floor and splattered Yang's boots with vomit.

"REALLY?! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!"

Jaune coughed, lurching around in his bed, before collapsing with his cheek just hanging over the edge of his blankets. "Ugh, I don't feel so good."

"TWICE IN THE SAME DAY!"

"Obviously," Weiss muttered with pursed lips. Pyrrha and Ruby carefully sidestepped the pool of vomit as well as Yang's raging tantrum. "If you have to puke again, Arc, I'd personally appreciate it if you kept it pointed that way if you please."

"Whatever ya' say," Jaune groaned, fighting back a heave. Pyrrha wrapped an arm around Jaune's shoulder, slowly shifting the boy back into a sitting position.

"OH GOD I CAN FEEL IT SOAKING INTO MY SOCKS! EWW!"

"You will need to rest and 'take it easy', while your body heals Jaune," she advised, resting the blond against the pillows. "There is no sense in pushing yourself."

"I guess you're right," Jaune said, swallowing thickly. "At least we got passed Initiation, so they gotta' give me some time to get better before classes start."

Another awkward silence filled the room as sudden realization swept through the others, lasting long enough that Jaune looked up at the others. Even Yang, as furious as she was about the foul mixture covering her feet, fell quiet. The four girls in the room staunchly avoided meeting Jaune's eye.

"We… passed Initiation right?" Jaune asked hesitantly.

"Technically, no," Pyrrha mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and rubbing at her side uncomfortably. "None of us were able to retrieve a pair of relics."

"We failed?" Jaune asked, horrified, "We went through all that and we failed?"

"Not exactly?" Ruby said. She placed what she hoped was a reassuring hand on Jaune's arm, letting her Aura reach out and touch his briefly. "Things went a little side ways-"

"A 'little side ways'? Really?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Okay, fine, a lot side ways-" Ruby retorted.

"I think things 'went side ways' when she had to partner with you, Schnee…" Yang shot back.

"How dare you-"

"Fine! We blew a crater into the Emerald Forest, the entire class had to be pulled out of Initiation and we all basically almost died so they had to rush us back to the hospital but none of us did die and we're all a nice big, HAPPY team," Ruby rushed out, glaring back and forth between her sister and partner. "Yay. Go team."

Yang and Weiss stared daggers at each other for a moment longer, before they both decided to look anywhere else in the room. Ruby sighed, looking at her sister and former best friend in dismay. Why was this happening?

Clicking footsteps drew Ruby's attention as Weiss strode to the door, yanking it open with a little more force than strictly necessary.

"Weiss, where are you going?" Ruby called out. The white haired girl stopped briefly in the doorway.

"Arc needs to be seen by a doctor," she said without turning back, "And as no one else present seems to possess the thought to get one, I will take it on myself to do it for you."

She vanished with a dismissive flick of her ponytail, letting the door snap shut behind her. Yang opened her mouth to say something no doubt insulting, but froze at the hard glint in Ruby's silver eyes. The blonde settled for a grunt, kicking off her vomit covered boots and sitting at the end of the hospital bed.

"Scootch your feet over a bit, Hero boy," she said as she pulled her feet up and curled them beneath her. "I'm not sitting near whatever it was you had for breakfast."

"Yang…" Ruby groaned.

"What?" Yang exclaimed, "It's not my fault that someone who shall rename nameless but is most definitely the second hottest blond in the room puked all over my shoes."

To Ruby's surprise, Jaune just smiled and shifted himself to make room. "Yeah, no problem Yang."

"Are you feeling any better, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, resting a concerned hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I don't feel as bad as when I just woke up," Jaune replied after a moment. "I don't think I can walk though."

"We'll just carry you then," Ruby said.

"You mean Pyrrha and me will carry him," Yang said with a smirk. "You're like half his size, sis."

Ruby frowned, and in a moment that made her feel like she actually was fifteen again, stuck out her tongue at the blonde. "I can carry Jaune. I'm plenty strong enough. I drink milk."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you saw Ruby," Yang said, waving her hand at Ruby idly.

"Ah, Mr. Arc. Good to see you've woken up," a female voice said from the door. Ruby spun, a lance of adrenaline already racing through her body even as her conscious mind realized she wasn't about to be attacked in the middle of the Beacon hospital.

"Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby said questioningly.

Glynda turned her gaze onto Ruby and she repressed the urge to shiver. Her former professor's eyes regarded Ruby with something distinctly different than she'd ever seen in them before. Something calculating and contemplative. It was the same look she saw whenever Glynda had spoken of Salem.

That alone unnerved Ruby more than anything else, particularly coming from someone she thought of as a comrade, maybe even a friend at times. The worrying sent her reeling and she caught her hands flexing agitatedly, her mind searching the room for the best improvised weapon. Ruby killed that train of thought, exhaling it with a slow, deep breath.

"Miss Rose," Professor Goodwitch said in acknowledgement.. She looked at the other two girl. "Miss Xiao-Long, Miss Nikos. It's good to see you all survived relatively unscathed."

"Depends on your definition," Yang mumbled, glancing towards Ruby.

Professor Goodwitch followed her glance to Ruby and paused. "Indeed."

Refocusing her attention to Jaune, Goodwitch made her way into the room and grabbed the chart with the blond boy's medical information from the end of his bed. "I was surprised when I ran into Miss Schnee on my way down here and she claimed you were awake and moving about your bed."

Weiss slipped quietly into the room. Ruby slid next to her partner, nudging her and trying to give her a discreet thumbs up. Cold blue eyes stared at her. Ruby let her hand drop back to her side dejectedly.

"To my understanding, the doctors involved in your surgery claimed you would be bedridden for weeks. Months even, since your body was not accepting Aura to heal your wound," Glynda continued, flipping through the sheets on the chart with a trained eye.

"Yeah, well, I guess I got really lucky," Jaune said with an awkward smile, wincing as he absently rubbed the back of his head.

"Mr. Arc, I have my own medical expertise to rely on as well, and based on the results of your surgery, I would have said you would have never woken up again," Professor Goodwitch said bluntly, setting the clipboard down on a bedside table.

Jaune's smile turned forced, and Pyrrha inhaled sharply. "I'm really, really lucky?"

"I would say so, yes."

"Oh, cool," Jaune said. His head hit the pillow behind him with a soft thwump. "That's great."

"It is, actually," Goodwitch said casually. She pulled out her riding crop, swishing through the air experimentally. "You've survived something unprecedented, without Aura to heal you. That, if nothing else, is a testament to your own strength."

"Woo," Jaune said weakly, waving his finger in the air. Ruby snorted and a pained expression slid over Goodwitch's face.

"Be that as it may," Professor Goodwitch continued on despite Jaune's less than thrilled response, "We will still need to keep an eye you for the foreseeable future. Even a legendary huntsman can not heal from a wound like that overnight."

"I don't know, professor," Yang piped in, "He looks pretty good considering he just took a bone to the chest."

"Yes, strangely…" Goodwitch said, cupping her chin as she set down Jaune's medical chart. She stepped to the side of his bed. "Mr. Arc, if you would, I'd like to examine the sutures."

Jaune hesitated for only half a moment, looking awkwardly around at the four other girls in the room. His cheeks darkened ever so slightly. Pyrrha's face glowed a similar color, Weiss lifted her nose into the air with a sniff, Ruby gave him a completely oblivious thumbs up and Yang just waved cheekily.

Professor Goodwitch sighed. "Mr. Arc, I do not have time for teenage hormones. May I remind you that you are _already shirtless_?"

"Oh, uh, right," Jaune mumbled as Yang laughed at him. He pushed himself back into a full sitting position on the bed. "So what do you need me to do?"

"Just remain still. I'm going to slowly remove your bandage. Let me know if you feel any discomfort," Goodwitch said, bringing her riding crop to bear.

Jaune gulped but nodded shakily. A twitch of the crop sent purple aura dancing over the bandage and the medical tape holding it in place. The tape slowly peeled away from Jaune's skin, and the bandage lifted free from his chest.

Ruby gasped and her fingernails bit hard into her palms

Blackened flesh now filled the once gaping hole in Jaune's chest, parts of it faintly glowing with an unearthly red hue that seemed to emanate from beneath the skin. Tiny pinpricks of white bone poking through the skin sat scattered over the area and thin, black veins radiated outward across the skin of Jaune's torso.

The phantom scent of blood and fire swept around Ruby like a thick cloak. She swallowed past a dry throat with the memories of ice and cold burning at her fingers and legs.

 _Crimson covered her hands, her arms, her chest. Blood everywhere, drenching her. Only some of it was hers. Each breath came short, fast and painful. She collapsed, her knees smashing into the hard earth. Malevolent laughter filled her ears._

Ruby blinked, trying to drag herself back to the present as Jaune glanced at each one of them in turn. "Guys, why is everyone staring?"

Yang finally broke the silence, pointing at the boy. "What is that?"

Jaune looked down, and all the blood in his face drained away in an instant.

Ruby couldn't tear her eyes from the spider web of veins splaying out, crawling across Jaune's chest and towards his shoulder.

"This is… unexpected," Professor Goodwitch said slowly as she stared at the corrupted flesh. She looked up, catching Jaune's attention. "Mr. Arc, do you feel any pain?"

Jaune shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

"Would you mind if I examine it more closely?"

The pale boy nodded, his lips moving wordlessly. Goodwitch leaned closer, gently pressing on the black skin with her riding crop in different places

"Do you feel anything now?" she inquired. "Any pain or unusual sensations."

"No," Jaune said as his voice cracked. He swallowed before continuing. "No. I mean... It just feels like you're poking me, I guess?"

"Hmm," Goodwitch pursed her lips and glanced at the medical monitor next to Jaune's bed. "Your Aura levels are... abnormally high considering what you've just been through."

"That's... a good thing, right?" Jaune said hesitantly. "Aura can help me, and stuff."

"Jaune," Pyrrha said quietly, "You almost died because that wound rejected your Aura. You would've died out in the forest if Ruby hadn't transferred Aura to you."

Jaune looked at his partner, then Ruby, dumbstruck. "Oh."

Ruby forced herself not to flinch at the blank look on his face.

 _Blank blue eyes stared at her, the light quickly fading from them. Lips moved soundlessly, trying futilely to push a few last words past a throat filled with blood. The laughter grew louder, Ruby grew colder, and one all-encompassing thought consumed her._

 _Cinder._

 _Ruby screamed, and the world dissolved into ice and silver._

The sharp tip of an elbow bit into Ruby's side and the memories faded away as she jolted. Weiss stood beside her, still standing with perfect posture and rapt attention on Professor Goodwitch.

A single pale eye glanced at her briefly and Weiss whispered out of the corner of her mouth, so quietly that Ruby could barely even catch it. "Don't zone out like a dolt."

Ruby smiled wanly at the old insult-turned-nickname, but couldn't bring herself to do more than nod back. She didn't trust herself not to break down into a blubbering mess.

"As hesitant as I am to advise this, try to stand Mr. Arc," Professor Goodwitch said, taking a step back to give Jaune room., "But slowly, please."

Jaune awkwardly shifted himself to the edge of the bed, clearly trying to avoid putting any weight or pressure on his right side. He winced as his bare feet touched the cold floor, but with the utmost care he stood up from the hospital bed.

Almost immediately, his legs started to crumble under him. Pyrrha leapt to his side, ready to take his weight on her shoulder but the blond waved her off. "It's okay Pyrrha. I gotta' do this."

Pyrrha backed away uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

"Aw, don't worry about him Superstar. You got this, Jaune!" Yang cheered.

Bracing himself against the bedframe, Jaune straightened his legs again and stood, taking a shaky step away from his last support. Standing free, though with a noticeable wobble, Jaune looked back at Professor Goodwitch.

"Remarkable," she said finally after a long silence. "Mr. Arc, I've been a Huntress for a long time, and I've seen individuals with less severe wounds take much, much longer to heal. What you've just done is nothing short of miraculous."

"Nah, Professor G, it's 'cause he's Hero Boy and nothing's gonna' stop him," Yang said. A shiver went down the blonde's spine as Goodwitch's sudden glare pinned her.

"Ms. Xiao-Long, while you may not officially be my student yet, I can still give you detention from now until you graduate if you refer to me as 'Professor G' again."

"Uh, right, Professor Goodwitch, sir- I mean, ma'am! Won't happen again, Professor Goodwitch ma'am," Yang stuttered. She sighed with relief when Goodwitch, satisfied with Yang newfound respect, looked away.

"See that it doesn't," she admonished, turning back to Jaune. "Considering you're up and moving Mr. Arc, I shall escort all of you to the Initiation Ceremony. Mr. Arc, please dress yourself and all of you will follow me. I will be waiting outside."

With that final order and a snap of her crop, Professor Goodwitch walked out of the hospital room.

Jaune turned to Pyrrha, a bead of sweat on his forehead. "Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"I could... kinda' use that help now if you don't mind," he said through gritted teeth as his legs started to shake violently.

"Oh. OH," Pyrrha leapt to her partner's side and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to brace his weight. "I am so sorry."

"It's okay," he said, "I'm pretty pathetic, heh."

"You also survived being impaled," Weiss said. "That's hardly something I'd call pathetic."

"And award for the most snobby compliment goes to..." Yang muttered, before she turned to the others and pouted. "Also, way to help me out with Professor G there, guys."

"You dug yourself into that," Weiss said shortly, "You can dig yourself out. I prefer _not_ to irritate one of my professors before they even start teaching me."

Yang opened her mouth to argue, but cut herself off at the pleading looking Ruby shot her. "Bleh, whatever. You're not even worth it."

"So, not to be awkward but I kinda' gotta' change but I can't really stand that well so I could sorta' use a hand..?." Jaune said, trailing off at the elated look Yang shot him.

"I know who can help you!"

"Uh oh," Ruby mumbled to herself.

"Uh... on second thought..." Jaune started to say but Yang cut him off as she swung a hand to point directly at the Heiress standing by the door.

"Weiss can help you!"

"WHAT!?" the Heiress screeched. The irritated gleam in Pyrrha's eye made Ruby snort.

"She's can give you all sorts of 'hands'," Yang said with a smirk and a wink.

"Xiao-long, no one will find your body, I swear," Weiss seethed.

"Maybe we should just get a nurse to help?" Pyrrha suggested, following up quietly with a muttered, "Preferably a male nurse..."

"Oh, I see," Yang said knowingly. "You're more of a guy on guy type of girl, eh Pyrrha? I catch your drift."

"That's not exactly... I didn't mean _that_ ," Pyrrha said, flustered with a growing blush.

"Yang, you're the worst," Ruby sighed.

"Ruby!" Jaune said desperately, "Help?"

"Oh, so you want to go back to my sister, huh Hero Boy?" Yang said with a dangerous grin. "Last night was just so good you couldn't stay away?"

Ruby groaned. "Yang, not this again."

Weiss turned suddenly to her in object horror. "You had... intimate relations... with _him_?"

Ruby stared back at Weiss. "What? Wait, that's not-"

"No, you're underage. Absolutely not. I will not have my partner disgracing herself in such a way," Weiss said with a stamp of her boot clad foot.

"Oh-ho-ho, and what right do you have to tell Rubes what she can do?" Yang said. Her eyes flashed crimson ever so briefly. "I don't remember you being Ruby's older sister."

"Yang c'mon-"

"Wait a sec' Yang. Are you saying you want me to do _things_ with Ruby then?" Jaune asked in confusion, completely oblivious to the bright red glow coming from his own partner's face.

Yang immediately started back pedaling. "Wha- No. I mean of course not- Like Ruby can do whatever she wants, just except for _that_..."

She couldn't help it. After the strangest twenty four hours of her life involving time travel, defying death, practically no sleep, and the ultimate second chance, she finally snapped.

Ruby burst out laughing, falling to the floor and curling into a giggling ball as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

* * *

Beacon's ballroom filled slowly as students poured in, both current and the exhausted Initiation survivors shuffling their way through the sets of double doors. Ozpin stood on the stage erected in the center of the room, hands resting on top of his cane. His brown eyes took in each one carefully, noting every new injury. Every new cut and scrape on his new students.

He blinked, catching a flash of crimson out of the corner of his eye, no doubt Ms. Rose's cloak. He burned the fresh scar spread across her face into his memory like all the rest. They were, ultimately, his mistakes that they now bore.

Some were more subtle. Those that had no physical wounds. Only dark bags and blank eyes where there had once been bright eyes and smiles.

Or worse, those that he remembered but who never walked into the door.

The last students entered. At the back of the room, Glynda nodded to him and with a snap of her crop the doors slammed shut. The children milled about, murmuring. Ozpin let the drone wash over him for a moment longer.

They were all so young. They deserved to have this brief time at least.

"Good evening," Ozpin said, his amplified voice cutting through the chatter. "Thank you all for your patience."

* * *

Ruby bounced on the balls of her feet as Ozpin started his speech, trying to burn off even a tiny portion of her anxiousness and resisting the urge to scratch at the pink tissue stretching over her cheek and forehead.

Weiss stood to one side, wearing a mask forged from a mix of poise and pretentiousness. Yang slouched to Ruby's other side with her back against one of the ballroom walls. Even further down, Blake lurked in the shadows of the room's massive window curtains.

The Faunus girl had materialized from the shadows without warning when they'd picked their spot at the back of the hall. Blake hadn't said a word since then, ignoring all of Yang's attempts to draw her into a conversation.

"This Initiation has been rather.. unusual," Ozpin said to the crowd of Hunters-to-be. "Due to circumstances far beyond your own control, this Initiation was cut short and many of you were unable to complete your goal."

There was a wave of uncertain, hushed whispers through the crowd. From the whispers, Ruby got the feeling that the fact that an Elder Griffon crashed through the entrance exam to Beacon hadn't been widely spread.

"However life itself is often just as cruel and unkind. To those of you who were unable to find a partner, I apologize, but there will be no place here at Beacon for you."

Cries of outrage and disbelief interrupted Ozpin. Ruby frowned at the old Headmaster.

"You will all be afforded another chance come the next Initiation to prove yourselves," Ozpin continued on, forcing himself to be heard over the churning frustration. "Until then, practice and focus yourselves."

"For those of you who found a partner, do not believe for a moment that your position is secure," Ozpin cautioned. "You will be placed in a team and may attend Beacon on a probation period for this coming semester, but you still failed your objective. You did not collect a relic."

Suddenly, Ruby felt immensely uneasy. Things were changing much faster than she expected, and she had no control over it. Beside her, she felt Weiss stiffen.

"Come the end of the semester, all our freshman teams will be tasked with a second Initiation exam. One befitting that of a true team of Huntsmen and Huntresses." Ozpin tapped his cane against the stage with a crack, silencing all hushed conversation.

"Only then, and only if you pass, will you truly be able to consider yourself Hunters in training," Ozpin let his gaze roam over the crowd. "For now though, we shall announce your temporary teams. Please come to the stage when your name is called."

"Well, this is gonna' be fun," Yang muttered petulantly as Ozpin called the first team up on stage. "What if you get stuck with a crap team? I'm not gonna' give up being a Huntress just 'cause my teammates suck."

"I hardly expect _you_ to contribute much to a team either," Weiss muttered out of the corner of her mouth.

"Can we please not do this here, guys?" Ruby asked. "Pretty please, with sugar and strawberries?"

"I bet I'll do better on a team than you will," Yang shot back with a nasty smirk. She jerked her thumb at Blake. "At least I got a good partner."

"Leave me out of your bickering, please," Blake said. Ruby noticed her bow twitch.

Weiss arched an eyebrow. "Are you saying that your own sister isn't a good partner?"

"Nah, Ruby's a great partner," Yang said, patting her Ruby on the shoulder.

"Thanks?" Ruby said uncertainly.

""I'm saying she got stuck with you. Fat lot of good that'll do for her," Yang finished.

"Of all the nerve!" Weiss hissed, ignoring Ruby's attempts to placate her. "I shudder to think what your team leader will have to deal with."

"Who says I won't be the team leader?" Yang retorted, "You're not so perfect yourself anyway.

"I never said I was perfect," Weiss snarled. "But a goldfish would have a better chance of a being leader than a brute like you."

"Oh, is that so?" Yang crossed her arms.

"Yes!" Weiss growled.

"Fine then, we'll see who's laughing when I'm team leader," Yang said with a triumphant smirk. "And if you're on my team, princess, you'll have to deal with it. I'm thinkin' bathroom cleaning duty with a toothbrush?"

"I think I'd rather die then follow your orders," Weiss scoffed.

"That could be arranged too."

Ruby ears perked up as she heard Ozpin call out. "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren."

"Guys, shut up," Ruby whispered to her partner and sister, waving her hands to the stage. "I wanna' see this!"

The group moved up onto the stage gingerly. Ren clutched his shoulder, clearly making an effort to avoid moving it as much as possible. Nora glued herself to his side, making sure to help guide the taller boy forward.

And Jaune. Ruby's chest burned angrily when she thought about the black flesh covering his chest. She bit down the violent urge creeping its way up her throat.

He leaned heavily against Pyrrha, letting her support him as they both stepped to the center of the stage. The thankful smile he sent towards the Mistrali, followed by the redhead's equally red cheeks, sent a tiny flutter of happiness through Ruby's heart.

The time traveler turned a gimlet eye towards Ozpin, daring him to try and change anything. She'd worked so hard to make sure Teams RWBY and JNPR ended up together. If he didn't announce the same teams, she'd have to do something drastic. Like hang him off Beacon cliff by

"The four of you saved each other's lives. Your team was forged in battle. From this day forward you will be known as Team JNPR, Juniper," Ozpin stated. "Led by Jaune Arc!"

Ruby's loud clapping rose above the applause, but she didn't care about the angry hiss from Weiss or the strange looks those closest in the crowd sent her way as she cheered for her old sister team.

"And finally, our last team," Ozpin said as the applause died away. "Weiss Schnee, Yang Xaio-Long, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna. Please step forward."

Weiss strode stiffly onto the stage, with her other three teammates following behind her. Ruby frowned when she noticed Yang hide a vindictive snort as Weiss stumbled and nearly tripped. Ruby's Semblance placed her at Weiss' elbow in a fraction of a second.

"Need help?" she asked, touching Weiss' arm softly. Weiss scowled, glancing at her briefly before turning her head away in a clear dismissal.

"I'll be perfectly fine on my own," Weiss muttered under her breath, brushing away Ruby's hand on her shoulder.

The four girls presented themselves to the staff and the crowd. Ozpin raised his voice. "Your team was the only group to actually collect a single relic, albeit a broken one."

Ruby tilted her head to the side. Her hand slipped into her pocket and found the cool, cracked body of the piece she'd absently snatched off the ground in the Emerald Forest. But how had Ozpin known?

"For collecting the white knight, and achieving your objective despite all odds, you will be henceforth known as Team WYRB, Wyrvern."

Ruby's eyes snapped back to Ozpin. That wasn't right. Where was the announcement for Team RWBY? She stared at Ozpin, wondering what the old man could possibly be playing at.

It didn't even make any sense either. Wyvern started with a 'W', and the team's always started with the leader's name-

Ruby's thoughts ground to a sudden halt.

Oh. Oh no.

"Led by Weiss Schnee!"

Polite applause filled the hall, swallowing up the angry exclamation from Yang. "What!?"

Ruby turned to look at her reformed team, eyes traveling down the line of three girls. Yang was furious, red eyes glaring at their new leader. Fists clenched at her sides and muscles tensed. If it weren't for the public setting, Ruby swore Yang would be quite literally tearing into the white haired girl.

Further down, Blake looked as if she had just shut down, eyes completely blank and staring straight ahead. The Faunus occasionally mouthed "Schnee" in near silent horror. She stood stock still, eyes flitting around, not unlike a terrified cat.

And then there was Weiss, staring straight back at Ruby with shocked baby blue eyes and a mouth hanging open so wide that a Nevermore could've made a nest inside.

It would've been funnier if Ruby's own emotions didn't feel like a swirling storm of confusion. A single word came to Ruby in a moment of clarity.

"Huh..."

Perhaps not as much clarity as she'd hoped.

* * *

 **So yeah. This took obnoxiously long and I kinda hate myself for it. No real excuse, I just didn't make time for writing in my life and paid the price. A few portions, the ones I wrote last basically, are more or less unedited because I honestly just wanted to get this out for you guys, so fair warning if you see some issues here and there.**

 **Also one of the more expensive fanfic chapters written, on 3 airplanes (2 in first class), in 2 hotels, and I'm literally posting this from about a block away from RTX in Austin. (speaking of which, if any of y'all are here and social butterflies, come say hi if you spot me. I'll be wearing mainly Netflix tshirts, hopping around the expo and smaller panels saturday and you can bet your butts I'll be at the RWBY panel on sunday.)**

 **As mentioned, I also did a full rewrite of the prologue. It's really not a 'required' re-read, as no major events really change, but (in my humble opinion) it's worth checking out if nothing else because I was able to bring Salem a little more in-line with her actual character instead of a melodramatic** **caricature. It's also a bit more world building, a bit of a better fight, and like twice the length.**

 **In order to keep more regular posting, I'm probably going to be decreasing chapter size going forward. These have been getting unwieldy. In theory the next one should be ready within a few weeks (instead of months). In practice... Offer up a sacrifice to the elder gods to get me to write faster?**

 **Overlord Swarm departs.**


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